


Someday, Somehow

by DrawnToDarkness



Category: Tin Man (2007)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Romance, Arranged Marriage, Cain/DG UST, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Romance, after the mini-series, hints of Az/OC, hints of Jeb/OC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-22
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2019-11-28 01:15:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 65,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18201515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrawnToDarkness/pseuds/DrawnToDarkness
Summary: DG and Cain parted ways after the Eclipse, with the intention of crossing paths along the old road. With the realm in chaos, obligation and responsibilities are pulling DG in every direction except towards the Tin Man. Will they get their chance at finding a happily ever after together or will fate step in?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> DG/Cain 100%, possibly some Az/Jeb or Az/Glitch later on but I don't know which one my muse is going to take me towards as this continues.
> 
> I can't make guarantees as to how fast I'm going to this one written and posted but I promise I won't leave it unfinished. But I'm armed with my Tin Man DVDs (and the downloaded version I bought from Amazon because I couldn't find either of my Tin Man DVD's, then found them both after I'd bought it again...) and my DG/Cain playlist so I'm all set to be inspired.

*/*

In the days following the fall of the Witch, a number of decisions had to be made. Some were easy, like the decision to have the tower destroyed at Azkadellia's request. Others were a little trickier, such as the decision involving where the reunited Royal Family would relocate to preceding the tower's destruction. The decision, after much discussion, was eventually made to relocate them to the recently regained palace in Central City, so that they'd be visible to their people even if the new reinstated Royal Guard, comprised of Resistance Fighters, would ensure they were seen but untouched.

Another decision took place behind closed doors, in the private rooms of the youngest Princess. It was a painful decision; one she would question many times over the ensuing annuals but one she wasn't sure she could truly regret.

It started as a normal conversation; just a moment between friends who had been strangers, drawn together by circumstances beyond their control.

A Princess and her Tin Man.

A Tin Man and his Princess.

"What do you plan to do now, Mister Cain?" She didn't look at him, didn't take her gaze off the view of the OZ from her balcony. She sensed more than saw him come up beside her, his steps soundless but something inside her always aware of where he was.

"Not rightly sure, Princess." He didn't sigh, but she could somehow hear it in his voice. "There's a lot of work to do in the 'Zone. Longcoats to be tracked, word of what happened here needs to get 'round somehow."

"And you see it as your duty to make sure it does." It wasn't a question; she knew Cain was getting antsy about staying in one place and couldn't put it all down to his time spent in the Tin Suit. Ozma knew, she was getting antsy, too, but unlike her Tin Man, she didn't have the freedom to leave.

"Someone has to." He shrugged beside her, the movement catching the corner of her eye. "It doesn't have to be me."

Silence hung between them, but it wasn't the comfortable silence that they'd shared over the days before and after the double eclipse. Sensing the tension, DG turned towards him. After a short pause, almost as if needing it to steel himself, Cain turned to face her.

It took effort, but eventually, she was able to lift her gaze to his. She saw the conflict in his cool blue eyes, the beginnings of something she couldn't yet call love but one day, in another life, might have been able to. She was sure he could it reflected in hers, too, which only made it harder to say what she knew she had to.

Harder to let him go.

"I release you from your obligation to the Mystic Man, Wyatt Cain. You no longer need to stay at my side at all costs." As she spoke, she drew herself up to her full height, which admittedly wasn't much. Her shoulders went down and back, the line of her neck and spine straight. She clasped her hands in front of her, resting them over her abdomen. It was a stance she'd witnessed by her mother many a time and once she'd almost perfected. "You look surprised."

"I..." He licked his lips in an unconscious gesture, twisting the hat he held between his hands. "I told you when you went to face the Witch that it'd be the only time I wouldn't be there to help. I meant it, Princess, and it has nothing to do with a promise to the Mystic Man."

"I know." The softest of smiles curled her lips, her gaze sad as it remained locked with his. "As much as I want you to honour that, and as much as I want you to stay – and I really do, Cain, please don't think otherwise. But I can't do that to you. I can't –" She turned away, back to the view so that he wouldn't see the tears in her eyes. "It might not be a Tin Suit but it's still a trap, and I won't do that to you."

"DG." He took a half a step closer, all the movement he needed to bring them within one another's personal space. Barely an inch remained between them, inappropriate given their stations in life or at least it would have been annuals before, before the Sorceress had made such protocols obsolete. "It's not the same."

"Isn't it? There's a quote on the Other Side," she told him. "I don't know where it comes from but it goes something like a gilded cage is still a cage." She closed her eyes but did so too late to stop a tear from slipping beneath her eyelid. "You deserve more than that. You deserve better."

Cain was quiet for a long moment. She knew he wanted to deny it but he couldn't; they both knew he'd tire of life within the palace walls, that resentment would creep in slowly but surely if she denied him this taste of freedom he'd not had the chance at in annuals.

"What if... What if I don't want to leave you?" It was an honest question, an unguarded one from a usually guarded man. "What if I don't want to lose you?"

"You won't lose me. Ever. I'm still going to be here, or in Central City. I'm sure I'll be easily found if and when you want to." On an intake of breath, she turned back to face him, forgetting for a moment just how close they'd become. "I don't want you to feel duty-bound to stay with me. You had a life before me, one I'm responsible for being taken away from you. No." She lifted a hand to stall his protest, letting it rest on his chest above his beating heart. "I know; I was a child who didn't know any better. But the fact remains I let the Witch out; I let her possess my sister. I caused all of this, and it's my duty, my fate, to try and fix it. I can't go back and fix it all but I can try to heal the hurt it caused to the people and the land. You're one of those people, Cain. You deserve some healing time of your own."

"I'd say I'm healin' pretty well right here, Princess." He lifted his hand to cover hers, holding it in place.

She smiled at that but had to swallow to remove the lump in her throat before she could speak again, her gaze dropping to their hands rather than holding his. "You'd heal better out there, away from all of this. Spend some time with Jeb, get to know the man your son has become. You deserve that," she repeated quietly. "You deserve so much more than I'm able to give you."

Jeb was a weakness, and she knew it. Besides DG, his son was the one person Cain would do anything for. Their relationship was fragile at best, made more so by Jeb's keenness to get back out into the OZ, to spread the word to the other Fighters who'd become his family over the annuals Cain had missed. His son had been offered the role of Captain in the Royal Guard, and it was a position he told the Queen and Consort he would consider accepting if it could be put on hold for a while.

"DG." All he said was her name, reverently, brokenly. Her gaze darted up to his again, and she saw the anguish in them and knew he'd reached the same decision she had.

"I know." And she did. She knew as well as he did that there was something between them. Something had shifted when they'd said their farewells before the last battle, something that left them both a little off balance and on the edge of a precipice that was both terrifying and awe-inspiring all at the same time.

As tempted as she was to jump right into it, she knew they couldn't. The timing was wrong; he was still grieving for his wife, and she was still trying to remember her place in this strange new world. For anything to start between them and have a hope of lasting, they needed to find themselves first.

Cain shifted, his other arm lifting to settle at her waist, closing the small gap between them. He lowered his head, his forehead resting against hers as they shared a breath.

A goodbye.

"If you need me, you send for me, you hear?" His voice was ragged, torn from his throat. "I'll be here in a heartbeat."

"I know." She closed her eyes, emotion threatening to overwhelm her.

"It's not forever," he swore, gripping her tighter. "Our paths will cross again, and when they do, I'm not letting you go again."

She gave a pained smile at that. "And here I thought I was letting you go this time."

"Only this time."

How long they stood together, heads bowed, DG couldn't say. She only knew that it was a moment in time she wished her light could freeze them in, a parting of ways that wouldn't happen.

Eventually, he moved his head, his lifting from her waist to touched her cheek. At the sensation, she opened her eyes to look at him, seeing the promise in his before he closed the gap between them.

It was a soft kiss, the barest touch of his lips against hers. Gentle, unhurried. A bittersweet gesture that both hoped said everything they couldn't voice out loud. His hand tightened over hers against his chest for a moment, and then the pressure was gone as he released her and took a step back.

Knowing her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were shining, DG could only watch him leave and pray to Ozma she'd done the right thing in letting him go.

*\\*


	2. Chapter 2

*\\*

For such a fleeting kiss, it sure weighed on his mind.

Cycles passed, and he didn't so much get a glimpse of the youngest Princess, just heard snippets of conversation by those who'd had the privilege he had to deny himself.

Though he hadn't seen her, they exchanged the occasional letter. Not often, not enough to satisfy him.

He kept her updated on the progress he, Jeb and their band of men were making in tracking down the remaining Longcoats, hoping she could read between the lines and understand that every Longcoat caught was a step closer to him being able to return to her side.

In exchange, DG kept him informed of the comings and goings at the Royal Residence in Central City. Raw had left briefly to return Kalm to their tribe but had returned to become Royal Viewer to the family, a title that finally won him the respect of his people. Glitch was still Glitch, despite the operation to restore his brain being considered a success. DG had confided in one of the rare letters that gave him a glimpse into her thoughts that while she was pleased to have the intellect of Lord Ambrose in her mother's advisor, she was relieved the part of his persona that made him their much-loved friend remained.

He learned from Jeb, through members of the Royal Guard he kept in touch with, that Princess Azkadellia was healing, but it was a slow process. Though DG mentioned her sister regularly, she didn't tell him what hadn't gone unnoticed by their guards, which was that the elder Princess relied heavily on her little sister.

She rarely wrote about herself at all, about what she was spending her days on and who with, which both frustrated and concerned him. She also never asked him to return to her, not directly, but she made references sometimes, to places she'd have to show him and people she'd have to introduce him to when he came home. He clung to the hope that that meant her feelings for him hadn't changed during their self-imposed separation.

Her latest letter brought news of the tour she was embarking on with her mother's reluctant blessing. Azkadellia would be staying with their parents, deemed too vulnerable to travel with her sister, but Princess DG, accompanied by Lord Ambrose and Master Raw, would tour the Realm and meet the people of the OZ.

It didn't sit well with him; he tended to side more with Queen Lavender that the Zone wasn't yet safe enough for her to wander around it. Sure, she'd have a guard with her – Jeb had been consulted via letters from the Consort and had hand-picked four of his best men to travel with her.

But it wasn't enough. Not even grilling his son on each of the four men in turn was enough.

"Be honest, Father, would you be content with anyone?" Jeb asked one night, the two of them sitting around the campfire as they shared the night watch. There was a note of teasing in his son's voice; they'd gotten closer on their travels throughout the country and were fast establishing a new and comfortable 'normal'.

"If you're asking if there's anyone I'd trust with the Princess's protection, then I'd say I could count those I do on one hand." Cain met Jeb's amused glance with a serious stare. "The Headcase is good in a fight if it comes to one; I've no doubt he'd protect her with his dyin' breath. Raw, too. People tend to discount him as a Healer but forget he's got sharp claws."

"And then there's you, obviously," Jeb shrugged a shoulder. "So that's three."

"I'd add you to the list, Son," Cain told him with the slight inclination of his head. "But after that, that's when I start to come up short."

Jeb ducked his head to try and hide a pleased grin at being included in the exclusive list. "You know you could always go back to Central City. If you left at first light, you'd make it before the Princess leaves the palace for her first visit."

It was tempting, but Cain resisted it. He glanced down at his hands and studied the tarnished ring he still wore. There was something else, one last thing he had to do before he could go back to DG and declare himself ready for whatever came next between them.

"Mother would understand," Jeb said softly, following his father's gaze as Cain slowly turned the ring, causing it to catch the light of the fire. They'd spoken quite a lot about Adora in their time on the road, both of them needing to. Jeb had explained some of the light he and his mother had had after his father's incarceration, reassuring his father he didn't blame him for what had happened. Cain, in turn, had done his best to assuage Jeb's own guilt at being unable to save his mother. "She wouldn't want you to put your life on hold, to deny yourself something that might make you happy. Sure, she wouldn't in a million annuals imagine you'd move on with the Princess, but I don't think anyone could've seen that coming, except maybe the Mystic Man."

It was said with a smirk, which helped ease the discomfort Cain felt. They'd discussed that, too, Cain's intentions towards DG, but were careful to do so when no one else in their camp was awake to hear it. Jeb, surprisingly to Cain, had been the one to reason that his father had spent annuals mourning Adora so no one could accuse him of moving on too quickly. As for the age difference, Jeb struggled a little with that until he realised something Cain himself hadn't: his father hadn't aged more than a few cycles while he'd been in the Suit, and it seemed it was taking time for his body to get used to the usual ageing process now he was out of it.

"Was she happy?" Cain asked quietly, subconsciously twisting the ring again. "You've been careful to avoid sayin' if she moved on."

Jeb faltered and cleared his throat. It was his turn to stare into the fire, though Cain suspected it was the past his son saw rather than the flames. "There was a man, the leader of one of the Resistance cells. He got us to the cabin, stayed with us there. I think... I know she was happy with him. He'd asked her to marry him, and she'd said yes. She told me he'd never replace you as my father because I admit I was a bit of a brat about it at first. I never called him Dad because he wasn't. He couldn't be." He swallowed a lump in his throat and clasped his hands in front of him. "Just after they got married, he left for a few days to meet with some members of his cell and share intel. That's when Zero came. I blamed him for Mother's death for a time, because I was convinced if he hadn't left, she'd still be alive."

"He's the one who got you out of the Suit," Cain guessed, earning a nod from his son. "What happened to him?"

"Longcoat's killed him. It was a raid gone wrong. When he died, I assumed command of the cell he operated, and from there, we kept merging with other cells we met up with, and I ended leading the majority of the Resistance." There was a note of pride his voice, pride Cain shared. "So if it's guilt keeping you from following your heart, or me..."

"It's not. Not entirely," Cain corrected himself. "It's complicated, Son. Everything happened so quickly. The time wasn't right for anything else to happen. DG's a Princess. She doesn't know this world or didn't at any rate. She needs time to find her place in it; then she can decide if there's room next to her for me."

"So that was your reason for leaving her, to give her space. I'm guessing you didn't say that to her, though, so what reason did you give?"

"I didn't. She told me I had to leave; it was her decision, not mine. She didn't want me to stay and feel trapped." His lips curled up ruefully, remembering the conversation, remembering his reluctant understanding of the point she was trying to make.

"But you don't see it that way. I mean, you wouldn't have considered yourself as being trapped." Jeb's brow furrowed. "Would you?"

"No, but I get what she was meaning. She wanted me to have my freedom, to try going back to my old life to make sure we weren't clingin' to each other just for the ease of it. And she was right in a way. I've got to put the past behind me if I'm gonna have any chance at sharing her future."

"Is that why the route we're taking goes past the cabin?" Jeb asked quietly. "So you can make your peace and say goodbye?"

Cain nodded, for a moment unable to speak past the lump in his throat. "I'll never forget her, Jeb. I'll never not love your mother in some way."

"I know. And I know it's your past hurts you need to let go of, the ghosts you need to lay to rest. Just as I know – or hope I know – that I'm not included in that. Unless having a son near enough the same age as the Princess you plan on courting would cramp your style." He chuckled softly at the sharp look his father shot him. "Just kidding, Dad. So that's the plan, then. We got to the cabin, and then we arrange to join Princess DG on her travels."

The thought made him feel lighter, but Cain knew hope was a dangerous thing. Too many times, it could prove to be false.

*/*


	3. Chapter 3

*/*

Their mother was devastated, but DG understood her hands were tied. The OZ was too unstable for her to risk another coup, which surely would happen if she isolated the Royal Family from the nobility slowly returning to their side after the end of the Sorceress's reign.

It didn't help her mother's guilt that the contracted had been written annuals ago, signed by Queen Lavender and sealed by her Light. There was no breaking it, not without dishonouring the name of the House of Gale and risking a declaration of war from the lands of IX.

"It doesn't specify which Gale daughter," Azkadellia murmured, her pale hands held in her father's. "I could –"

"No." DG's voice was stern. "You're not going to do it, Az."

Her sister's dark eyes locked on her back; DG could feel them as she stared out of the window to the city outside and the country beyond. "But Deege, if I don't, that means you have to."

"And I will if it comes down to that." Her shoulders were squared, her back ramrod straight. "You can tell the Council to inform the Prince that we will meet to discuss the betrothal, Mother. All I ask is that no announcement be made regarding it until we've met in person and that such a meeting can wait to take place until after the anniversary of the Eclipse."

"But, my angel..." Lavender's voice trailed off as she touched her youngest daughter's arm. "It is no secret amongst the four of us that your heart already belongs to another."

"Heart's got nothing to do with it," DG quoted, but no one else in the room knew the words weren't her own. "It's an obligation, not a choice."

"It's one I can't let you make, baby sister." Azkadellia squeezed her father's hand before getting to her feet, noting that Ahamo still appeared utterly devastated by Lavender's announcement and had yet to speak. She joined her mother and sister at the window. "You've already done so much for me. You can't expect me to let you do this, too."

DG, at last, turned away from the window. She took her mother's hand in one of hers, her sister's with the other. "I haven't even started to make up to you for all you were put through at the Witch's hands. And I'm not saying I'm going to marry him. We'll respond to the Prince's people, invite them here. If on meeting me and discussing the subject, he wishes to go ahead with the arrangement his parent's made, we'll deal with it then. We don't know what his thoughts on are on the whole matter. He might not want to, and between us, we might be able to come up with a compromise that would help keep the alliance between our countries." She gave them what she hoped was a reassuring smile and squeezed their hands. "Please don't worry, not yet. Our priority still is and still should be getting our own people on side, and that's what I fully intend on doing."

Queen Lavender drew both of her daughters into an embrace. DG didn't need to look up to know when her father joined them, wrapping his arms around the three women who meant everything to him. The threat of their family being torn apart again so soon after being reunited was one that worried them all.

She sent a silent prayer to the deities of the OZ that her optimism that all would work out as it should was not misplaced.

*\\*

Those eyes were familiar. There was no mistaking them.

Even without Raw confirming it and Glitch's misfiring synapses to stop misfiring long enough for him to make the connection, DG knew.

She knew, and she wept internally when those eyes changed from suspicious to concerned, her heart breaking and soul crying out for someone so similar who couldn't be there with her.

"Your Highness?"

Ignoring the soldier who spoke, DG walked closer to the man who represented the town. "I'm sorry; I didn't catch your name."

"Sam, Your Highness." The man lowered his head. "Samuel Cain, Princess. It's a mighty honour to have you visit our small town."

"Cain!" Glitch exclaimed, catching up with what DG had already worked out. "DG, it's Cain's – oomph! Hey!"

Raw's elbow wasn't a subtle gesture, but sometimes subtly wasn't what their friend needed.

The older man gave Glitch a curious glance but returned his attention to DG. "You'll forgive our lack of a welcome, Highness. News is slow to travel these days. May I be so presumptuous to assume that the rumours must be true if you're here?"

"The rumours regarding my sister?" DG questioned softly. At his nod, she smiled. "My sister was indeed possessed by an evil witch," she answered, raising her voice to be heard by the townsfolk who'd joined them. "She had been for many annuals. The Sorceress stole my sister's face, her name, her hands. She was liberated at the final battle on the day of the Double Eclipse. Rescued, though she still has much in the way of recovering to make. The battle," DG continued, locking eyes with Sam Cain, "was won because of the brave actions of so many Resistance Fighters, but there are five specific names I would ask the people of the OZ remember. Master Raw of the Viewer tribe. Lord Ambrose, Royal Advisor to Queen Lavender. Princess Azkadellia of the House of Gale. Wyatt and Jeb Cain."

Sam stared at her, his face pale and his eyes bright. The people of the town began to murmur amongst themselves at the announcement and the unexpected arrival of the rumoured Slipper Princess to their little corner of the OZ.

"Don't forget yourself, Doll, " Glitch called out, a proud grin on his face. "Azkadee wouldn't have been able to fight the Witch without you."

DG heard him and acknowledged the words with a small smile even if she didn't try to claim the credit he wanted to give her. Her gaze was fixed on the man standing in front of her, so easily imagining her Cain looking like him in the future.

"My... My son?" Sam choked out. "My son and his boy? They're alive?"

"They are," DG commented softly. "They're heroes, Mister Cain. I know our visit here was unannounced and regrettably has to be so short, but something drew me here, to this place. I believe now that it was the men we have in common. If I may, I'd like to let them know they can find you here. Too many families were torn apart during the war, and it would be a privilege and do my heart good to help reunite at least one of them."

Sam Cain moved swiftly, startling her guards. DG held up a hand to halt them as the older man took her into his arms, into an embrace that felt familiar but not the same. As his shoulders shook in silent sobs, DG felt the ache in her chest ease just a little.

*/*


	4. Chapter 4

*/*

The cabin had been left untouched by man but not by nature or by time. Moss grew over the wooden planks that made up the building and competed with rot for dominance.

It wasn't the cabin they were there to see, though. Father and son skirted around it to the grave, to the simple plaque that marked the final resting place of Adora Cain.

"We should have her moved," Cain murmured, taking his hat off and crouching beside the grave where his Tin Man badge was just about visible. "There are cemeteries now, outside of the city."

"The Princesses idea," Jeb replied, recalling the notice they'd seen in one of the towns they'd passed through. "They're making a memorial garden where the tower stood, with a plaque for every person lost during the war."

The missive hadn't specified which Princess had had the idea, accrediting it to them both. Cain had to wonder how much of it was Azkadellia, and how much was DG trying to give her sister as much positive attention as she could.

"Would you like a moment alone, Dad?"

At Can's nod, Jeb stood to join their men on the other side of the trees that surrounded the property. He'd already said his goodbyes; his father hadn't.

"I'm sorry it came this, Dora." Twisting his wedding band, Cain thought back to the day she'd placed it on his hand. He smiled through his tears, remembering how happy they'd been, how bright the future had seemed for them. "You know I'll never forget you. I'll never look at Jeb without seein' you, rememberin' the good times we had." He paused, his eyes closing so he could picture her face. He could almost feel her hand at his cheek, catching the tears as they fell. "Part of my heart will always be yours, Adora. You gave me my son. I hope... I hope you don't walk the old road alone now."

'I'm not alone, my Wyatt. We walked together while we could. Our roads part now but the journey to get us to this crossroads was ours and ours alone to share. Be happy, my darling.'

Her voice was so clear, so very clear it made him gasp. His eyes snapped open, but he was still alone, despite the phantom touch he felt on his face, on his shoulder.

'Don't be afraid to follow your new road, Wyatt. Don't lose faith. Let it lead you where it needs to, where you belong.'

He stood after a moment and wiped his face. He somehow felt her approval, her blessing, in the warm breeze that encircled him. It was time, it whispered, to close one chapter and begin another.

He put his hand back on his head and turned on his heel to join his son. If DG still needed convincing that his place was at her side, well. He was ready to do just that.

*\\*

"How did you know he'd be there?" Glitch persisted in asking the question, even though DG had already told him that she didn't have the answer.

They were back on their planned route, though a little behind schedule. There was no carriage, no procession. DG had fought with her mother's advisors on that; the tour she was to undertake of the realm had to be simple and understated. There would be no show of opulence or power, just DG and a handful of trusted guards, travelling in a way in which the people could relate.

She'd compromised, agreed to visit some of the nobles and dignitaries who lived along the route she'd travel, though had groused to her amused father that that would be her least favourite part of the tour.

"DG listen to instinct," Raw answered on her behalf. "Follow her heart."

She'd followed the voice in her head, DG though, though she couldn't shake the feeling that maybe it didn't belong to her. "Something like that."

"You sure are drawn to the Cain's like a moth to a flame, aren't you, Doll?" Glitch didn't notice the knowing smirks on the guard's faces, Jeb's men, but DG did, and it made her sigh internally. "Can't wait to see the Tin Man's reaction when he hears about this one. Can't wait to see the –"

"Glitch. Quiet now." Raw warned, his voice a low rumble. The Viewer gave DG a concerned look, which she returned with a small smile meant to reassure but which somehow fell short.

Thinking too much of Cain hurt.

Thinking of the conversation she'd have to have with him when they finally saw each other again hurt.

It played on her mind as they continued to ride, distracting her. When Rafe, one of her guards, signalled that they should stop and make camp, she didn't protest. She did her share of the work in setting it up, which had surprised the men at first but they gave in and let her do it when she made it clear she was a princess who didn't mind getting her hands dirty.

At their insistence, she would sleep in her own tent. DG would have been happy to sleep on a blanket under the stars, but apparently, that was a step too far even for the former Resistance Fighters. A second tent was assembled next to her own, one that was big enough to sleep two of the guards, Glitch and Raw. There would always be two on watch, one to walk the perimeter and one to stay by the fire.

After lingering by the fire as long as she could, enjoying the company and the easy conversation, DG excused herself. It amused as much as annoyed her when the guards stood up when she did; Rafe, at least, hesitated before he got to his feet; Bates, Elliot and Bran all got up like a shot.

"If I have to keep telling you gentleman to treat me as one of your own on this trip, I'm going to get very annoyed, very fast." DG rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You can ask Glitch what that's like, but I assure you it's not very pleasant."

They mumbled apologies, which made her smile, but stayed standing until she made her way to her tent.

Settling herself on the cot that had been assembled for her, she removed her boots but remained otherwise fully clothed; she'd learnt from her time travelling the realm with her friends on their quest to find the Emerald that always being prepared wasn't just a motto of the boy scouts back on the Other Side.

Her fingers itched for her sketch pad, and after trying to fight it for a few minutes, DG reached for the paper and pencil that she'd stashed under her cot earlier. Drawing Sam Cain was easy enough; his features were burnt into her mind's eye as soon as she realised who he was and who he was connected to.

The words came a little slower, an unplanned letter written in haste.

She knew Cain planned to join her on her tour; he'd not told her himself, but she'd heard Rafe and Bran talking about it in low voices as they'd left Central City. They were two of Jeb's best men, she knew and were still close to the former Resistance Captain soon to be Captain of the Royal Guard.

At first, she'd been looking forward to seeing him again, hungry for a glimpse of the man who so often frequented her thoughts and her dreams. But then the conversation she'd had with her family came back to her, and she felt chilled by the obligation that weighed heavily on her shoulders.

The old adage that absence made the heart grow fonder seemed to be true, at least in her case.

She missed him.

She went to bed each night wondering why she'd sent him away, cursing herself for not being selfish and demanding he stay with her. She woke up each morning have dreamt of him, more often than not reaching across an empty bed for someone her heart told her should be there but her mind would cruelly remind her that he had never been.

And never would, if the Prince from IX was as determined to claim what he thought was his as her mother's advisors suspected.

With that thought in mind, she started to write.

First thing in the morning, bleary-eyed and aware the glamour spell she'd cast on herself could only go so far in masking her sleepless night, she passed the sealed letter to Bates and asked if he'd mind a small detour so he could deliver the letter for her.

After getting permission from Rafe, who was in charge of the operation, Bates took it with a cursory glance and was soon on his way.

DG hugged herself as she watched him go, faintly aware of Raw and Glitch joining her.

"DG heart ache," Raw murmured, resting a furry hand on her arm even though his gift for healing didn't extend to pain that wasn't of the physical kind. "Fading hope. Must cling to it. Will need it."

She gave him a curious glance and covered his hand with hers, unable to decide if she was comforted by the words or disturbed by them.

Glitch, in the dark as to what she'd done but knowing she needed her friends, slung his arm around her shoulder. "Cheer up, Doll. We've got an adventure to have! Good company, fresh air, wide open spaces... What's there to be sad about?"

A small smile curved her lips, and she found herself leaning into him. "That's a nice way to put it, Glitch."

Still, the smile slipped from her face as the three friends parted ways to help the soldiers begin the tedious job of packing up their camp.

*/*

Dear Wyatt,

I hope you don't mind me calling you Wyatt; I know I never have before, but it somehow seems appropriate this time.

Firstly, the good news. Or at least I hope it's good news. The sketch enclosed is of a man I met in the small town of Coldstream just West of Central City. His name is Samuel Cain and he was overwhelmed to discover that his son and grandson, both of whom he believed had died during the Witch's reign, were not only alive and well but were heroes of the Eclipse.

I know this may come as a shock to you, and to Jeb, and apologise for breaking the news via letter instead of in person but I felt it might be prudent to do so so you have the choice on whether to go and see your father sooner rather than later. He's desperate to see you, Wyatt, and Jeb, of course.

Now onto my second reason for writing this, and again, I can only hope you forgive my cowardice for doing this in a letter instead of to your face. In all honesty, I don't know how to write it; I can only imagine that trying to say it would be a hundred times worse.

There is every possibility that I am betrothed to the Prince Faseem of IX, and that our engagement will be announced within the next annual.

I'm trying to hold out hope that he'll feel the same way I do about our arranged marriage and that we can come to some agreement when we meet in person that will involve finding another way to establish peace between our countries. I've said as much to my parents, to Az, but in my heart, I fear I already know that such optimism is misplaced.

I'm not too proud to admit that I'm scared of what the future holds; it feels like every time I allow myself to want something and hope I can one day have it, fate steps in to remove it from my grasp.

My Mother is devastated, so I can't find it in myself to blame her. She did what she had to do, for the land and people she swore to lead and protect.

Perhaps it's what I deserve, my punishment for releasing the Witch all those annuals ago when I let go of Az's hand.

Perhaps it's fair, a future I can't choose or control, retribution for the annuals I spent on the Other Side blissfully unaware of the consequences of my actions in the OZ.

No matter what the fates have in store, please know that if I had a choice, it would be you.

In my heart, it always will be.

Your Princess,

DG

*\\*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this story is taking on a bit of a life of its own and going in different directions to what I'd originally had planned. One of the storylines I'd had planned is therefore being cut and will make an appearance in its own story one day, which I suppose is a good thing maybe? And since I'm writing a note at the end of this chapter... Anyone have any preference as to who the lovely Azkadellia finds happiness with? The options are Jeb, Glitch or an original character... :)


	5. Chapter 5

*\\*

They arrived at their first official stop just a little bit behind schedule. A courier bird had been sent ahead to let the Mayor and townspeople know, and they didn't seem to mind her tardiness. The Lord who was based in the area and saw himself as the Queen's right-hand man in the West was not as forgiving.

"Princess DG," Lord Tilton greeted her, his green eyes raking over her in disapproval. Clearly he didn't approve of her choice of travelling attire, which was a pair of dark blue trousers as close to jeans as she could get on the Other Side, a loose tunic style top in a lighter shade of blue and a long tan leather jacket she'd taken a liking to because it reminded her of a certain Tin Man's duster. "You finally see fit to grace us with your presence."

Someone made a growling sound behind her as they stood in the entrance hall of Lord Tilton's impressive house situated on the outskirts of the town of Hirshall; she wasn't sure if it was Raw, Glitch or one of her guards.

"My apologies, Lord Tilton. I did send a message explaining we had been unavoidable delayed leaving Central City." A little white lie but one DG thought better than the truth, which still confused her. "My parents send you their regards and look forward to welcoming you to the city for the anniversary of the eclipse celebrations."

At the mention of the Queen and Consort, Lord Tilton stood a little straighter. "I look forward to being welcomed by them, Princess."

He preened like a peacock, DG thought, but managed to keep the polite smile on her lips. "I'll be sure to let them know. Would it be acceptable to visit with the people of Hirshall now, Lord Tilton, or should we wait until morning?"

The Lord's top lip curled up in a small sneer before he was able to control it. "The people of Hirshall are, how can I put it, less refined in their tastes, Princess. Perhaps you would prefer to rest tonight at my home and visit them in the morning?"

"Thank you for your offer of hospitality, but I understand arrangements have already been made for myself and my party." Silently thanking Glitch for his foresight to arrange their lodgings in the towns and villages they were scheduled to visit, DG gave Tilton what she hoped was a quelling smile. "Would you like to join us on our tour of the town, my Lord? I'd be very interested to hear how you led them during the Witch's reign."

He hadn't led them at all, DG knew. He'd all but abandoned them, and the servants who'd been left to take care of the grand house he called home. From what they'd been able to discern, the Lord had fled to one of the neighbouring countries to avoid having to choose a side if the Sorceress came to call. The people he'd been trusted to protect by the queen had been left to fend for themselves against Longcoats and famine, forced to ensure the darkness of the last fifteen annuals without guidance like so many others in the realm.

It was something DG had discussed at length with her family, Glitch and Raw; DG wanted those who'd abandoned their people and the Queen herself in their time of need to be held accountable, but her mother had suggested a need for caution and patience. Members of the Queen's Royal Advisors were amongst them, and though Ahamo had explained his wife's reluctance came from a need to project stability in the court rather than a desire to protect them, DG was frustrated with having to wait. She tried to understand that her family had to bide their time, to make sure the country was settled and the crown secure before they could act but it played heavily on her mind and her heart when she saw the true suffering of the Oz's people.

She kept her silence for Azkadellia's sake, not wanting to do or say anything that would cause her sister to be further isolated. Her sister was healing, but she was still fragile, struggling with the burden of memories her possession had forced upon her.

As the Daughter of Light who had held the emerald during the events of the eclipse, it was assumed Azkadellia would be declared Heir Apparent when the time was right. Her sister disagreed with it, confessing to DG that she feared the prophecy was being taken too literally. It was DG who had retrieved the prized gem, who had been entrusted with it by its guardian, and the Witch who had taken it from her and worn it during the eclipse.

She'd cried in DG's arms on more than one occasion that if she struggled to look at her reflection and not see the woman responsible for such heinous crimes against the OZ, then how could she expect the people of the OZ to look at her and see someone different?

DG's reason for touring the realm was two-fold, though she'd been careful to keep her plans to herself. Though she didn't doubt her parents would understand, she suspected they would deem it too soon to embark on the personal mission she'd set herself.

"I'm afraid I have duties to attend to here, Princess." Lord Tilton gestured vaguely to their plush surroundings. "Please do join me for your evening meal at least. It would be an honour to be able to speak with you further, Princess."

The men who travelled with her weren't included in the invitation, and DG knew she had little choice but to accept. She could have insisted on Glitch attending alongside her; after all, he was Lord Ambrose, which put him on equal footing with Tilton, but she wouldn't do that to her friend. The Glitch side of his brain hated having to be formal almost as much as she did. Besides, that would be an insult to her host, and the House of Gale couldn't afford to make any new enemies. "Of course."

Leaving the nobles opulent major and heading into Hirshall itself, the two lifestyles couldn't have been further apart. A simple street lined on either side with modest buildings, many of them in desperate need of repair, was all the town consisted of. And though the man who waited to greet them held the title of Mayor, there was nothing pompous about the former sheriff alleviated to the title. Elected by the people because he'd stuck around and offered leadership where there was none, DG immediately warmed to Joseph Skipton and quietly marked him in her mind as a potential ally and replacement for Lord Tilton.

"We're proud you chose to add us to your list of places to visit, Princess," Joseph told her as they walked through the town together. He'd been surprised that she'd actually wanted to walk around, having expected her visit to be a far more formal affair with a safe distance between herself and the people who lived there. At her insistence, they walked the length of the town, and he introduced her to each and every person they met. "Can I ask why you chose us? I'm sure there are prettier places than Hirshall."

"I'm not interested in pretty. I want to see the real." She gave him a small smile and shook her head at his confused look. "My family and I discussed it at length. We want to make sure everyone gets the support and help they need to rebuild and start the long road to recovery. As much as we should be able to rely on the nobility of the OZ to tell us what that is for their people, we weren't sure we could. People have a tendency to tell half-truths at times such as this, and to focus on what they believe the people want rather than what they need."

It was interesting but unsurprising that he didn't deny it or try to defend Lord Tilton. "We're a resilient folk here. Luckier than some, I don't dare say. There's some things we could use, that's a given. Your Lord Ambrose is already workin' on some of it, and we're appreciative of that and Master Raw helping out, too."

DG smiled a little at the mention of her friends, both of whom had set about doing what they could to help the townspeople already. "Tell me what you need, and I'll do my best to arrange it. Some things might take longer than others but I give you my word Hirshall, and its people won't be forgotten by the House of Gale."

"That's a mighty promise, Highness, and one that'll mean a great deal to folk around these parts." Joseph motioned for her to precede him into the last building at the end of the row that made up the town. It was where he'd made his home, and his office, the first building any strangers coming into town from the main roads would encounter. He'd made himself the town's first line of defence, and DG couldn't help but think it was something Cain would likely commend him for. "There is something you could help us with here and now, Princess. If it's not askin' too much."

There was little she could think of that he and his people could ask for that she'd be unwilling to give freely, so DG was curious at the sudden uncertainty in his expression. "Ask away."

Joseph hesitated for a moment, standing beside the window of his office as DG stood just inside the room next to his desk. Eventually, he turned away from the window to look at her. "We, that is, the townspeople and I would like to know the truth, Princess DG. There are so many stories coming from Central City these days; it's hard to tell the truth from the lies."

"More so because no doubt each version you hear contains an element of both," DG murmured. She broke protocol then, motioning to the chairs beside the desk. "Why won't you sit down and get comfortable, Mr Skipton? The story itself might not be a long one, but I'm sure the questions you have may take a while."

*/*


	6. Chapter 6

*/*

The conversation with the Mayor of Hirshall took almost two hours in total. DG held nothing back; she was brutally honest in her dictation of the events leading up to Azkadellia's possession by the Witch known to most as the Sorceress. She made no attempt at hiding or playing down her own role in it, nor did she try to use her age at the time as an excuse. She described what happened after her death as a child at the Witch's hands and took care never to use Azkadellia's name as she spoke about their mother's sacrifice or the question she'd found herself on following her return to the OZ. She only referred to Azkadellia by name when she spoke of her sister separating from the Witch and being strong and brave enough to take her hand at the top of the tower.

He'd sat down, stood up, paced and sat down again throughout their conversation. DG had forced herself to remain sitting, though it'd taken a lot of effort to do so. She crossed her legs at the ankles, not because it was how she'd been taught as the proper way to sit but because it kept her legs still. She clasped her hands in her lap, not because it was ladylike but because it kept her from fidgeting.

"Is..." Joseph stopped himself, though DG suspected it was more because she'd answered all of his questions with unfailing honesty rather and was wary of what the answer she'd give to his last question would be. "You said Princess Azkadellia is still recovering?"

"She is. She has a lot to recover from." The sigh that escaped her was heavy and guilt-ridden. "She's doing better these days, but I'm told it'll be a slow process. Time is the greatest healer, or so everyone keeps telling me."

"You're doing your best to help her." It was a sure statement, not a question, but she responded anyway.

"I'm trying, but I feel helpless sometimes," DG admitted quietly. "There's only so much I can do, which is one of the reasons I'm here. To help everyone see my sister for who she really is and not as the Witch who wore her face for so many annuals."

He nodded in acknowledgement but let silence fall between them for a while. It was broken by the sound of someone knocking on the door a few moments later. "Come in."

Rafe entered the room, giving a small bow to DG, which made her roll her eyes. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's getting late, Your Highness. I thought you'd want some time to gather yourself before you join Lord Tilton for evening meal."

"Do I really have to do that?" The question slipped out before she could stop it and DG sighed inwardly, almost hearing Az's snort of amusement and her mother's gentle admonishment. For his part, the Mayor made a bad job of smothering a chuckle with a cough, while Rafe did nothing to hide his smirk. "If I must, I must." She got to her feet, a little stiff from both a day in the saddle and from sitting for so long. "Thank you for giving me so much of your time, Mr Skipton. If you could get that list of what your people need here to either myself or Lord Ambrose before we leave tomorrow, we'll see what we can do to get it to you."

"We'd appreciate it, Princess. And I appreciate your candour, too. Not many Royals would be as open as you have." Though Joseph bowed his head in respect to her, DG caught the concern that flittered across Rafe's face. She rolled her eyes again, knowing she was in for a grilling so the head of her guard could dutifully report back to his once and soon to be commander, who would no doubt repeat it all to said Captain's father. "I'll see you in the mornin'. The people of Hirshall won't forget your visit."

"I hope in a good way," DG returned, and let Rafe lead her from the room and the house. She kept her silence until they were halfway down the street, headed towards the Inn where Glitch had made arrangements for them to stay overnight. "You don't have to look so worried. I haven't said anything that would cause a diplomatic incident or have the people of the town trying to kill us in our sleep. Well, I'm pretty sure I didn't, anyway. Might be best if you stay alert, just in case."

The look he threw her made her laugh until she realised it was the first time she could remember genuinely laughing in a long time and then felt sad. She stifled a sigh and looked around as they made their way towards the inn.

"Where are Raw and Glitch?" She asked, realising that she'd seen neither of them for some time.

"Lord Ambrose is speaking with some of the townspeople about their agriculture systems. It appears he has a lot of suggestions on how they can improve it." This was said with a small smirk, one DG understood. Once Glitch got talking on a subject he was passionate about; there was nothing else to do but sit back and wait for him to finish. "Master Raw is helping the town's healers. I don't know what he's doin' exactly, but they're mighty appreciative."

She smiled, affection for her friends swelling inside her. "What time do you expect Bates to get back to us?" A flutter of nerves started in her stomach as Rafe considered his answer, but since she couldn't be sure if it was because she was hoping for a response or dreading it, DG did her best to temper it down.

"If he made good time and didn't encounter any issues, he could be back tonight," Rafe told her after a moment. "If he had to stop along the way, I'd expect him back sometime after first light tomorrow. Depends where on the road he found 'em."

DG nodded, slowly processing the words and what it meant as she let him precede her into the building.

The Innkeeper and his wife stood to greet her, nervous smiles on their faces even as they bowed and curtsied respectively. "Your Highness. Welcome to our home. We are honoured to host you and your party during your stay in our town."

"Thank you for your hospitality. It's very much appreciated." And it was, but DG also appreciated it when Rafe insisted on showing her to her room for the night so she could get ready.

As much as she didn't mind camping, even if she had been denied the opportunity to sleep out under the stars, she did miss having a proper bed to sleep on at night, not to mention having a private bathroom a few feet away with everything it offered that the great outdoors couldn't.

Her mother and sister had insisted she pack some gowns for her tour and DG had unwilling agreed, knowing there would be some formal occasions she would be unable to talk her way out of. It wasn't just the everyday people of the OZ she needed to get on side; it was anyone and everyone who might one day be a threat to her family.

She allowed herself the luxury of a quick bath before using her light to make the wooden trunk she took out of her backpack full size. It was a nifty little trick Azkadellia had taught her, a way to seemingly travel light while having a miniature wardrobe of clothes for every occasion at her disposal.

DG chose a green dress at random, trusting her mother wouldn't have sent her with anything inappropriate, and reluctantly finished getting ready for her evening meal with Lord Tilton. She studied her reflection, trying to see herself beneath the glossy finish of the Princess staring back at her.

She was still in there, just very well hidden. She wondered if one day she'd stare at her reflection and forget the person she used to be, if the DG of old would be lost because she forgot to look for her.

The knock at her door was a polite reminder of the obligation she had to fulfil. Rafe had insisted on accompanying her, though he wouldn't be permitted to join her and Lord Tilton for supper. She suspected there'd already been a discussion between her guards and they'd agreed to take it in turns to go with her when she was extended invitations she was unable to turn down. Though she was meeting with nobility, she was no safer in the grand houses of the OZ than she was walking through a town or in the woods.

Squaring her shoulders, she slid her feet into the matching heels she'd found in the trunk and went to face her fate.

*\\*


	7. Chapter 7

*\\*

His father hadn't spoken since Bates had turned up and given him the letter. He'd watched him carefully, trying not to make it obviously but unable to keep his concern from growing as his father's face had grown increasingly impassive, a sure sign that something was wrong.

Jeb knew his father, and had gotten to know him all over again during the cycles they'd spent together. Though his father didn't show everything he thought and felt, he'd become less closed off in the time they'd spent together. It was like reading DG's letter had sent him back in time, back behind the mask, and that made something cold start to form in the pit of Jeb's stomach.

"Father?" He waited until the men they were travelling with were busying themselves tending to Bates' horse and making sure the guard-turned-courier was shown where he could rest for a while. "Is something wrong with DG?"

Cain didn't speak straight away, taking an undue amount of time to fold the letter back up. To Jeb's surprise, instead of slipping it into the inner pocket of his duster, where he'd put the other letters from the Princess who'd come before it, his father held it out to him.

He hesitated before taking it, wanting to respect his father's privacy, and DG's, but at the same time, wanting – no, needing – to know what was going on so he could prepare for any danger they might be facing.

The first thing he saw was the sketch of his grandfather; his breath caught in his throat at the lifelike image staring out at him from the paper. She'd captured his likeness extremely well, and he was suddenly overwhelmed by memories of the older man who'd been a prominent figure in his childhood until war had spread through the land and their family had been parted.

It took him some time to move on from that, to get past DG's mention of his grandfather and how much the old man was looking forward to seeing them both.

And then he read on, and he saw the reason for his father's withdrawal.

He swore under his breath, his joy at the thought of a family reunion quashed by the threat that lurked on the horizon. Though he hadn't spent a lot of time with DG following the Eclipse, he'd heard a lot about her from his father, and he'd liked what he'd heard. He'd thought his father had met his match in the younger Princess and had been looking forward to seeing how it played out between them.

He, like his father, like DG, had thought there was plenty of time.

He'd thought there was a chance his father could finally get the happy life he deserved, and he'd hope to be a part of it.

"What do we do?"

His father didn't answer at first. Though his expression still gave nothing away, Cain's eyes looked distant. It was a look Jeb recognised from his childhood, along with the stubborn set to his father's jaw. He was careful to hold himself still so not to disturb his father's focus and waited.

There were two choices, two forks in the road.

They could follow DG's suggestion and travel northeast, back towards Central City and the town of Coldstream. They could reunite with his grandfather and put a missing piece of their family back where it belonged.

Or, and it was a very big or, they could follow through with the plans they'd already made and let Bates lead them back to where he was to reunite with the Princess and her companions.

Another piece of their family, Jeb recognised, just one that hadn't yet fallen securely in place.

Wherever his father decided to go, Jeb knew he would go with him.

"We'll let Bates and his horse rest for a couple of hours," Cain said eventually, his tone even and his expression giving nothing away. "Then we break camp and leave."

Before he could ask where they were going, his father reached out to take the letter from his hands and carefully stowed it away as Jeb had been expecting him to do earlier.

"Father. Dad." Only Jeb's voice stopped his father from walking past him and striding away to places unknown for some time alone. Cain tilted his head to the side, his light blue eyes locking with his son's. Still, his expression remained carefully blank. "It might come to nothing," Jeb found himself saying, finding he felt a need to offer reassurance to his father, a man who'd already been through so much and Ozma knew he deserved a break. "She said it herself; there's no way of knowing if the Prince will want to go through with it. Don't give up."

His father didn't speak, but his eyes flashed his gratitude at having Jeb's support. Cain paused to put his hand on Jeb's shoulder and let it rest there for a moment before he walked away, needing some time alone.

Jeb exhaled slowly and let himself do something he hadn't done in annuals, not since he thought he'd lost both of his parents. He lifted his gaze to the cloudless blue sky above him, and he prayed.

*/*

Dinner with Lord Tilton was a very unpleasant affair.

It didn't start off too bad; he welcomed DG warmly and was even gracious when he noticed Rafe was with her. He'd arranged for Rafe to join the household staff for dinner in the kitchen, so DG didn't feel guilty about her guard missing out on his evening meal. He'd then shown DG through to an extravagant dining room with a table laden with food and drink.

It was very generous of him, but to see such a lavish display of wealth and abundance of food when she knew there were others in the realm struggling to put food on their tables and make ends meet made her quickly lose what little appetite she had.

And that was before the conversation really started.

He enquired after her parents over the first course and his first glass of wine. It appeared he thought highly of her mother, but after his second drink, she realised he had no such warmth for her father.

Lord Tilton did not approve of the young Queen of the OZ marrying a Slipper from the other side, and the more he drank, the more his disdain for her father and the other side, in general, started to come through.

It made DG uneasy, more so because fifteen years – annuals – of her life had been spent there, and though she'd never felt like she was truly at home in Kansas, she still felt defensive about the place she'd been raised.

By the middle of their second course, Lord Tilton had taken to the subject and refused to be distracted from it. He didn't seem to notice that DG's glass hadn't needed to be topped up or that the food on her plate was largely untouched.

"You must be so pleased to be home now, Princess," he told her, and she was surprised he wasn't quite slurring his words. "Though I suppose coming home to find your sister is evil and your father is nothing more than a commoner must have been quite a shock for you."

"Not at all, Lord Tilton. My sister is not evil; an evil witch possessed her but the Witch is dead, and Azkadellia is free from the prison her mind had become. As for my father," DG's smile was tense, her eyes sparked in warning the Lord was too inebriated to take heed of. "He is the love of my mother's life and a very good man. He has been and continues to be a wonderful Consort and leader to our people."

Lord Tilton snorted. "A good man, Princess? He abandoned your mother. He left her to face your evil sister alone."

"He followed the plan he and my mother agreed upon, as was in the best interests of everyone in the realm in the long term." It was a plan that kept her awake at night, knowing the sacrifices both of her parents had made were due to her actions as a child. "And my sister is not the Sorceress. You'd be wise to remember that, and to refer to her by her title if you must refer to her at all."

"There are many, Princess, who never accepted your father's role in your mother's life. It's something you would do well to remember." Lord Tilton stared at her intently, and all of a sudden, he didn't seem as drunk as he'd appeared. "There are many," he repeated quietly, his voice full of intent, "who will do whatever it takes to ensure that such a history does not repeat itself. If the House of Gale intends on regaining its control of the throne and the country, it will do you well to remember that to marry below your station is not acceptable. The lines must remain pure, you understand. Contamination of any kind is intolerable."

"Contamination?" DG arched an eyebrow. "You believe my father contaminated the Royal line because he's a Slipper?"

"Slipper, commoner. They're all the same." The Lord shrugged a shoulder and waved his hand, sending red wine sploshing over the side of his glass, but he didn't notice.

DG did. The stain of it against the white table cloth reminded her sickeningly of blood and she found herself pushing her plate away. "Instead of alluding to it, why don't you just come out with it, Lord Tilton? What are you trying to tell me?"

"I'm telling you, Princess DG, that you have to be very careful with the decisions you make." Lord Tilson's eyes flashed at her. "People are watching, powerful people. Do not be so naïve as to believe that you are exempt from expectations because you are the so-called Slipper Princess and hero of the Eclipse. There are responsibilities and duties you must accept due to your station in this life, or else you risk losing it all."

"That sounds like a threat, Lord Tilton." DG's heart was pounding as she pushed her chair back. Anxiety caused her stomach to churn and her hands to tremble, but she did her best to keep him from noticing. "I don't like threats."

"A friendly word of advice, Highness," Lord Tilton murmured, inclining his head in a mockery of respect as he smirked at her. "Nothing more."

Unsettled, DG got to her feet. Lord Tilton followed but didn't try to stop her. She strode out of the dining room and into the entrance hall of the house where Rafe was already waiting. Her guard took one look at her face and reached for his gun, but DG shook her head and continued towards the door, opening them with her magic before any of Lord Tilton's servants could open them for her.

She strode into the night, knowing Rafe was following close behind.

There was no goodbye for the Lord, nor would she be returning in the morning to say her farewells before leaving the land he thought of as his territory.

"What did he do to you, Princess?" Rafe wanted to know as they walked back to the inn in half the time it'd taken them to walk from it earlier in the evening. "If he hurt you –"

"He didn't," DG interrupted tersely, trying to get her own emotions in check so not to fuel the defensive nature of Rafe or any of the guards she knew would be waiting for them back at the inn. She thought of Raw, thought of his sensitively and cursed inwardly, working even hard to try to conceal the turmoil she was feeling from her friend. "Lord Tilton merely stated his opinion on a number of subjects. It's an opinion I disagree with."

"Strongly, by the looks of it." He was still suspicious, but Rafe seemed willing to let it drop.

It was a stark difference to Cain, a little voice at the back of her mind told her. Cain wouldn't let it drop. Her Tin Man would already be on his way back to the manor house, determined to extract the cause of her discomfort from the source if he couldn't get it from her.

She tried not to think about why Cain was so prominent in her mind following Lord Tilton's warning to her about her position and what she had to do because of it. To think of such things only hurt her heart given that the very reasonable possibility that she would be denied any choice in what she did with her life or who she spent it with.

They completed the rest of the journey in silence. As DG expected, Raw and Glitch were waiting for her to return.

What she hadn't been expecting was to see Wyatt and Jeb Cain waiting with them.

*\\*


	8. Chapter 8

*\\*

When the furball growled under his breath and started to pace, Cain knew he'd made the right decision in following Bates back to DG. Though the Viewer wouldn't say anything as to why he was suddenly so upset, to Cain's way of thinking it was pretty obvious that it was linked to DG.

His suspicions were confirmed when the Princess herself walked through the door, doing her best to keep her expression from giving her feelings away but still very much unaware that her eyes truly were the window to her soul, at least where he was concerned.

She stopped so suddenly that the guard behind her – Rafe, he guessed by process of elimination – almost walked into the back of her.

Their eyes locked and everything else seemed to disappear, time itself coming to a slow stop.

He drank in the sight of her greedily, taking in everything about her. It'd been almost an annual since he'd seen her last and every single second of it suddenly felt like a second too long.

How he'd managed to keep himself away from her for so long, Cain didn't know.

How he managed to stop himself from closing the relatively small distance between them and pull her into the circle of his arms, Cain couldn't say.

It dawned on him that the feelings he felt for her could have diminished with the time and distance they'd put between themselves; he didn't know whether to be pleased or startled that if anything, they'd only grown in intensity.

There was a voice in his mind, in his heart, that declared her as his. His Princess, his DG.

In that second, he knew he would be keeping the promise he'd made to her what felt like a lifetime ago on the balcony of her rooms at the palace; now they were together again, he wasn't going to be able to let her go.

DG opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her lips moved, and his gaze was drawn to them but still, no sound escaped her.

He sensed movement behind him but didn't feel any danger from it so kept his eyes focused on her. He was vaguely aware of Bates and Elliot moving off towards the stairs at a low murmur from Jeb.

The one he knew as Bran entered his peripheral vision, blocking his view of DG momentarily as he went up to Rafe and spoke quietly. At his words, Rafe, too, headed to the stairs while Bran moved outside to arrange who'd take first watch with the men who'd travelled alongside Jeb and himself.

The movement of the guards left just himself and DG, Jeb, Raw and Glitch.

Friends. Family.

He should have been able to relax but couldn't. The tension in the air shifted, but it was still palpable.

"Well, this is quite the reunion, isn't it?" Glitch spoke up, clearing his throat when neither Cain or DG moved.

Raw made a small noise behind him, but there was a note of distress in it that caught Cain's attention and was finally enough to pull his attention away from DG.

"DG shielding but can feel distress," the Viewer murmured. "Need to calm."

His gaze went straight back to DG at Raw's words and he noticed that in the time he'd taken his eyes off her, she'd started to glow. Literally. Her entire body kept lighting up in short bursts, her blue eyes were wide, and her lips were parted as though she couldn't quite catch her breath.

The girl was in the midst of a panic attack and he hated the thought he might be partly to blame for it.

There was no hesitation as he crossed the gap between them and set his hands on her shoulders. He had to dip his head a little to put them on the same level but he did it so he could look her in the eye and make sure he had the whole of her attention.

"Breathe for me, DG. You've got to breathe, Darlin'." His hands tightened on her shoulders even as hers rose to cover them.

He mimicked the slow breaths he needed her to take and DG slowly followed suit, her eyes never once leaving his.

Only when her breathing was even and he knew she was in no risk of passing on out him did Cain move, his hands moving from her shoulders, sliding down her arms to her waist. When he pulled her towards him, DG didn't protest. She lifted her arms to go around his shoulders, his name escaping her in a cry torn from her throat as she tried to almost bury into him, pressing her face against his shoulder as all of the tears she'd kept at bay since the day he'd left began to pour out of her.

He lost track of time as he held her, murmuring nonsensical reassurances and rubbing her back in slow circles. He kept his cheek pressed against the top of her head but watched as those who remained with them started to move.

Jeb took up position on the inside of the front door, just in case one of the guards decided to come back in. Glitch, likewise, moved to the only other door leading into the room from the inside, blocking the entrance just in case the inn's well-meaning owners tried to come in from their own home which was adjoining the property. Raw came up to stand beside him and DG, tentatively reaching out to lay a furry hand on the top of DG's head as he closed his eyes and concentrated.

A soft growl escaped the Viewer, and the sound was enough to make DG lift her head from Cain's chest. She took a half step back; it was all his arms would allow because he could quite get the message to his hands that he needed to let her go.

"I'm sorry, Raw," she said quietly, her cheeks damp but her eyes clear. "You shouldn't have had to feel that. And I'm sorry to you, too, Cain," she continued, lifting her head to look at him directly. She looked embarrassed, the beginnings of a blush rising in her pale cheeks. "It's been a long day, and I wasn't expecting you to be here. I didn't mean to use you as a human handkerchief."

"Not complainin', DG." He lifted one hand from where they'd come to rest on her hips to touch her cheek, wiping away the residual tears with the pad of his thumb. "You want to tell me what set you off, Kid?"

"Not really but I don't think you're going to let me get away with that." Her rueful smile was faint but at least it was present. She glanced away from him to see Jeb standing guard at the door and the blush returned full force. "Hi, Jeb. It's nice to see you again. And sorry, again. I promise I'm not normally like this."

"S'okay, Princess." Jeb gave her a lopsided grin and a wink. "Sometimes seeing the old man gets me all emotional, too."

A small laughed escaped the girl at that and Cain reluctantly let his hand drop from her face but refused to relinquish contact completely. He'd been starved of the opportunity to see her, hear her, touch her for far too long and wasn't willing to stop now he could. He entwined their hands, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles in silent reassurance as he led her over to the sofa beside the fire and kept hold of her hand as they sat down together.

"I'm probably overreacting," DG said sheepishly, ducking her head a little so she didn't have to look at anyone. Cain noticed she didn't make any attempt at pulling her hand away, though, and was glad of it. "Dinner with Lord Tilton isn't an experience I'd care to admit."

"Selfish man," Raw purred, sitting down on her other side. Cain noted the Viewer didn't reach for DG's hand but kept close enough that his arm brushed hers. "Man insult sister, father. Threaten Princess."

"Threaten?" His voice was sharp enough to have her lift her head to look at him.

"Not really. Not like you're thinking." She squeezed his hand and he felt something tingle between their palms, almost as if she was trying to use her gift to calm him. "He made it clear there are certain expectations I have to meet because of my position and said there'd be consequences if I didn't. Basically, there are powerful people watching and I should think twice about risking their wrath."

"Powerful people, Doll?" Glitch left his station at the inner door to sit in the armchair opposite the sofa. Likewise, Jeb moved closer to the group.

DG nodded. "I think he might have meant the Council. I can't think who else he could mean, and I'm certainly not their favourite person so it would make sense that they're watching and waiting for me to mess up."

"They're not waiting for you to mess up," Glitch protested. "They're just waiting, in general, to see what you do. They don't like change, DG. The Court has longstanding traditions that have been around for annuals... That have been around for annuals... That have been around for – oh! Hi, Doll. Cain's back, did you see?"

Since he was still sitting next to her holding her hand like a lifeline, the answer was obviously yes but Cain watched DG smile softly and ignore the question. "There's a time and a place for tradition, Glitch, but the Court and Mother's Council need to realise some things have to change. The Witch is gone, but everything can't just go back to how it was before."

"What did he say about your sister and the Consort?" Cain asked quietly, wanting to know exactly what had been said to upset her.

DG signed. "He won't accept Az isn't evil and he blames my father for tainting the Royal bloodline by being both a Slipper and a commoner. As if that even matters."

"It matters to some," he found himself saying, immediately comparing the Consort's relationship with the Queen to the one he'd been hoping to have with their daughter.

DG's gaze locked with his, her eyes flashing. "Not to me, and not to anyone that matters. He referred to me as the Slipper Princess, too, so I think I'm enough of an insult to his delicate sensibilities of my own."

"But you're not a Slipper," Jeb pointed out. "You were born in the OZ."

"Some people like to forget that. I can't blame them; I don't remember much of it myself," DG said wryly. "Anyway," she sat up a little straighter, pulling away from him slightly by no longer leaning into him, and Cain knew what was coming. "Not that it isn't nice to see you both, but I thought you'd be on your way to Coldstream by now."

"We're planning to stop by at the end of your tour," Cain replied matter-of-factly.

"We sent word to Grandfather that that's what we're going to do," Jeb added before DG could launch into a protest. "He'll understand. He was in the Royal Guard annuals ago."

Silently thanking his son for including that bit of information, knowing it would distract DG long enough for him to move the conversation on. "You'll have to catch us up on the itinerary."

"You don't have to come with us." DG turned slightly to face him. "You don't have to put your life on hold again –"

"I'm not." He ran his thumb over her knuckles again in a subtle caress.

It was signal enough for the group element of their reunion to be over.

Glitch got to his feet after a meaningful look from Raw that DG didn't see, but Cain did. The Queen's Advisor gave an exaggerated stretch and accompanying yawn as Raw slowly followed in getting up from the sofa.

"Night, Doll. Don't worry about the Court or Council. We've got your back," Glitch grinned at her and waved as he headed towards the stairs. "I'll let Rafe know we're turning in for the night."

"Thank you, Glitch." DG smiled again but didn't attempt getting off the sofa herself.

It was a good thing she didn't, Cain thought, as he wasn't prepared to let her go until they'd had the conversation he'd been replaying in his head on his journey to Hirshall.

Jeb excused himself to go and chat with the guards outside to find out what the plans were for keeping watch while Raw followed Glitch upstairs to their assigned rooms with a rumbled 'goodnight'.

And then it was just the two of them, alone for the first time in almost an annual.

*/*


	9. Chapter 9

*/*

"Are you okay having this conversation here or do you want to go somewhere else?" Cain wasted no time on small talk, the look in his light blue eyes intense.

Though she struggled to hold his gaze, DG couldn't look away from him, a part of her scared he'd disappear if she did. "I can put up a silencing spell but the Innkeeper or his wife might come in from next door," she found herself saying. "My room would be more private."

She was nervous and he could see it. Cain lifted the hand he still held to his lips, pressing a soft kiss against the back of it, which caused her to sigh. "If you're comfortable with that, it might be an idea."

"I'm okay with it," she said quietly, a pretty pink colour rising in her cheeks even as she managed to meet his gaze. "I trust you, Wyatt."

Whether it was her choice of words or the sound of his first name on her lips, Cain found himself needing to take a moment. His eyes closed briefly, opening only when he felt her other hand against his cheek. "Gods, I've missed you, DG."

"I've missed you, too, Tin Man." Her smile was shy but genuine. She dropped the hand that had been at his face and got to her feet, tugging on their still joined hands to get him to follow her.

They walked in silence up the stairs to her room. Cain locked the door behind them and felt his skin tingle as she cast a silencing spell so they wouldn't be overheard.

DG started to pull her hand away but he was quicker, tightening his grip seconds before giving one forceful tug. She was caught off balance by the move and he let go of her hand only so he could steady her with his hands on her waist, drawing her swiftly against him.

For a long moment, he just held her the way he'd been dreaming of. Ever since he'd walked away and left her on her balcony at the palace, he'd imagined their reunion, picturing the moment he was free to hold her this way and feel her soft warmth against him. She tensed for only a second, relaxing against him with a sigh as she lifted her arms to rest her hands against his chest, her head tucked under his.

"I'm sorry," DG murmured, her voice muffled against him. He could hear the tears in it and moved his hands to the small of her back, pressing her closer. "It's all such a mess, Cain. I'd completely understand if you wanted to leave and not come back."

"Hey now." He reluctantly pulled away just enough so he could look at her. When she didn't lift her head, he moved one hand between them to her chin so he could tilt her face up to his. "We agreed to put some time and space between us, and we did. If I recall, you said I'd be able to find you when I wanted to, and I promised you that when I did, I wouldn't be lettin' you go again. No ones gonna be leavin', Princess."

She tried to smile but it didn't last long. "If we had a choice in the matter, it would be that simple. But we might not. I might not. It would be hugely unfair on you to string you along in the hopes that this Prince decides he doesn't want to go through with the marriage our parents arranged." She broke away, frustration and despair fighting for dominance in her eyes before she turned away from him and walked towards the only window in the room, wrapping her arms around her middle. "I won't do that to you, Wyatt. It's not fair."

"You're not doing anything to me, DG. You've made me aware of the situation and it's my choice to stay." He followed her to the window and reached out to wrap his arms around her, drawing her back against his chest. Now he'd started touching her, he couldn't seem to stop himself. "You said yourself; we don't know if he'll insist on the agreement being honoured. If he does or if he doesn't, I'm not wastin' what time we've got together waitin' to find out."

"But what if he does?" She leaned back against him, her hands covering his. "I don't want to marry him, Wyatt."

He couldn't tell her she wouldn't have to, not without lying to her. He didn't know the details of the Queen's agreement with the royalty of IX, though he'd already made his mind up to interrogate Glitch on whatever details the Advisor knew. If there was a way to get her out of it without risking war between the two countries, he'd find it.

He let his cheek rest against the top of her head and stifled a sigh himself. "We'll figure it out, Deege."

"But what if I have to?" Her voice was small and uncertain. "What if we spend the next however long we've got getting to know each other again and then he turns up one day and demands I marry him? What will we do that?"

"We'll figure it out," he repeated. He lifted his head so he could turn her around in his arms. "No matter what happens, I'm not leavin' your side, Princess."

"I wish things were different." She let her hands rest on his chest over his vest. "I wish –"

"What, Deege?"

"I wish I could love you the way I want to." She wouldn't lift her head to look at him, her gaze fixing on the line of his throat as he swallowed. "When you left, I told myself that if you chose to come back, it meant that there really was a chance for us, that you might be able to feel for me a fraction of what I already felt for you."

Cain cleared his throat, but his voice was still a low rumble when he spoke. "DG –"

Her eyes shifted to him for a brief moment. "Please let me finish. If I don't say it now, I don't know if I ever will." She dropped her gaze when he gave her the smallest of nods. "I told myself it was silly to think you could. Feel that way about me, I mean. I thought maybe you might have thought you felt something you didn't because I was the one to let you out of the suit but you'd realise you didn't if you spent some time away from me. So I promised myself that if you did come back, I wouldn't let anything get in the way of us exploring whatever this is between us. And now you're here, and I can't keep that promise, and I don't know if I can stand it."

"What I feel for you has nothin' to do with the suit." He exhaled slowly, moving to rest his forehead against hers as his hands moved from her waist to cover hers against his chest. "You were right in sayin' we needed to take some time apart. If we hadn't, things might've moved too fast, and then we'd be right to question it. How I feel about you hasn't changed. If anythin', I feel more strongly about you now than I did when I left. And I might not be able to court you the way I'd intended, but we've still got time, darlin'. We can get to know each other, take it slow. And we'll get through whatever happens next together. You have my word on that. I'll be beside you no matter what, DG."

"Even if I have to marry someone else?"

He didn't hesitate. "Even then."

Words failed her, so DG pulled back just enough to look at him. She watched him as she stood up on her toes, closing the gap between them slowly. Cain dipped his head and met her halfway. The kiss was soft at first, sweet and unassuming. As his hands slid her waist to pull her closer, hers rose to his shoulders, fingers curling into him as she made a soft sound against his mouth.

It was all the encouragement he needed to deepen the kiss, his hands gripping her almost hard enough to bruise as he clutched her to him, unwilling to let even the smallest sliver of space get between them.

Later, he wouldn't be able to say which of them moved towards the bed, just that they tumbled onto it, hands exploring bodies through the layer of their clothes as they continued to kiss, trying to sate their hunger for one another, the desire and lust that had built up over the cycles they'd kept themselves apart.

He rolled them over, so she was underneath him, his hands in her hair as he took all she had to give and still asked for more. DG whimpered beneath him, her hands scrambling under his clothes to get to the skin underneath, the touch of her fingertips against his skin making his head spin as she traced nonsensical patterns on his back.

"DG," he murmured, tearing his mouth away from hers only to start kissing her neck as she squirmed against and beneath him. "We have to slow down, darlin'."

She made a small noise of protest but immediately withdrew her hands from under his shirt and vest, lifting one to rest against his neck and play with the short hair at his nape. "I want you," she told him honestly, her eyes dark and earnest when he pulled away to look at her. One of her legs had risen to wrap around his and she tightened it, pressing him more firmly against her in a move that was as torturous as it was pleasurable.

"And you've got me," he assured her, leaning in to steal another kiss. "But we're not doing this. Not here, not now."

Not when they didn't know what the future had in store for them, not when they were so desperate for each other that there would be room for regret once the twin suns rose again.

The frantic pace of their kisses slowed, eager touches becoming gentle caresses. Cain rolled onto his side and spooned DG up against him, his arm a steady weight over her hips keeping her pressed against him.

They fell asleep fully clothed and wrapped up in each other.

*\\*


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So glad the last part went down okay! I was nervous about writing their reunion :)

*\\*

Lord Tilton didn't put in an appearance to wish them farewell as they left the village of Hirshall for the next stop on their journey. DG was glad; she was sure the noble wouldn't get a warm reception from any of the men guarding her, not least of all from Cain, Raw and Glitch.

Joseph was there to say goodbye, as were the healers Raw had worked with and an engineer, who had spent most of the previous day with Glitch. It warmed DG's heart to see the appreciation the townspeople of Hirshall had for her friends, to know that they were working alongside her to help the people of the OZ as much they could.

The decision had been made to let two of the men who'd travelled with the Cain's to go back to Central City and take up their position with the Royal Guard. Two of them would remain, so DG's guard increased to include not only the four soldiers she'd set off with but also Cain, Jeb, Myers and Thompson.

DG took the opportunity to send some letters back with the guards who'd be leaving them. She wrote a letter for her parents, detailing her journey so far, her encounter with Lord Tilton and a formal request for the support the Mayor of Hirshall had requested. And she wrote a letter for her sister, with a more personal account of all that had happened to her so far. She knew how much Azkadellia had wanted to come with her, but the fear of what reception might await the Witch's former host kept her sister confined in the palace. DG thought maybe if she could detail it as much as possible in her letters, Az wouldn't feel like she was missing out on too much.

They would travel further West on the next leg of their journey, stopping at the town of Fordham before travelling on into the territory of the Western Guild. The Guild had been made aware of her intention to visit them, but they were a secretive people who had gone into hiding during the Sorceress's reign. They hadn't responded to her mother's letter, nor to the one she'd sent advising them of her arrival. DG was nervous but decided the welcome she got from them couldn't be any worse than her first meeting with the munchkins of the Eastern Guild, who she planned to visit last.

Joseph had taken the arrival of Cain, Jeb and their guards in his stride, barely batting an eyelid as DG introduced them even as she prepared to say goodbye to the Mayor.

"I'm surprised Lord Tilton hasn't come to say goodbye, Princess," Joseph murmured, his expression carefully noncommittal. "My apologies on his behalf for the disrespect, Your Highness."

"You don't need to apologise for Lord Tilton or his actions," DG told him quietly, glancing to her right where Cain stood. "I've sent word to my Mother on what supplies Hirshall requires to help you rebuild. I can't say for certain when they will arrive, but I promise that they will get here."

"It's much appreciated, Princess DG." Joseph gave a small bow. "Safe travels to you and your companions on the rest of your journey. If you're ever in need of someplace to rest and you're nearby, please be assured the House of Gale will always receive a warm welcome here."

The fact that he referred to the House of Gale and not herself personally didn't escape her notice. DG bit back a pleased smile and inclined her head graciously. "Thank you."

The extended group left the town just after breakfast. Rafe and Jeb took point, with Bates and Myers at the rear. DG found herself riding in the middle of the group with Cain on his horse on her right and Bran on her left. Glitch rode in front of her, with Thompson beside him and Raw rode behind next to Elliot.

"This feels a little like overkill," DG complained quietly to Cain, "Is it not making it obvious I'm a walking – riding – target with so many guards around me?"

Cain smirked but kept his gaze on their surroundings. He had the reins in one hand, the other resting on his holster in a way he managed to make look casual. "You'd prefer to be undefended if we stumble across any Longcoats?"

"There's less than fifty unaccounted for," DG pointed out, having read the reports that had been sent to her father – most of them by him. "There were a lot more than that out for my blood when we were out here just the four of us."

He couldn't argue with her, though at first, they hadn't realised why the Sorceress had wanted her so badly. "You're a Princess, DG. You're not going to be allowed out of the palace with anything less than four guards going forward."

She pouted but didn't say anything for a few minutes, letting the sounds of being away from the town wash over her. The light breeze blowing through the trees, causing the branches to knock together. The sound of birds she couldn't see calling to one another with their song. Somewhere through the trees, there was a stream or river because she could hear the water moving as it made its way wherever it was going. "Will we get to Fordham before nightfall or will we have to camp out tonight?"

"We'll stop somewhere before dusk and make camp to give the horses a rest," Bran told her, having memorised the route and discussed it at length with Rafe and then again with Cain and Jeb that morning. "We should reach Fordham by midday tomorrow,"

DG nodded, trying to remember the names of the nobles and dignitaries she'd have to visit and whereabouts on their journey they would crop up. She wasn't in a hurry to meet with any of the others after her evening with Lord Tilton.

His words of warning had only cemented her belief that there were members of the Court who disapproved of her. She supposed she couldn't blame them; ever since her return, everything she'd done had turned the world they knew on its head. Those who had prospered under the Witch resented her for taking that away from them, and those who had turned their backs on the people of the OZ so they could flee and save their own skins now had to do something to make themselves look better than the cowards they were.

At the back of her mind, she wondered if maybe they were the reason they'd received the letter from IX. If they'd made the first move, even, without mentioning it to her mother. The more she thought about it, the more the certainty of it crystallised in her mind. It was a convenient way to get rid of her, the Slipper Princess who still threatened their standing with the Queen. Her protectiveness of Azkadellia was no secret, so they would have known that should the Prince's people write to theirs and request the arrangement be honoured, she would put herself forward instead of allowing her sister to. If she ended up in IX, married to a man she didn't love, she would be almost powerless to stop her mother's Council and those in the Court it protected from doing whatever they wanted.

A low growl disturbed her thoughts; at first, she thought it was Raw but then she realised the sound had come from the trees to the right of her, next to Cain, and the Viewer was still behind her.

As one, the soldiers and their horses stopped. Jeb and Rafe moved their mounts to face the direction the sound had come from, while Cain shifted deliberately so that he and his horse stood between her and whatever had made the sound through the thick foliage.

Another growl, this time from her right.

"Show yourself." The order came from Raw and took the guards by surprise. The Viewer got down from his horse even as Thompson swore under his breath. "Mean no harm to DG," Raw continued, addressing Cain this time. DG felt a little insulted he hadn't addressed her directly, but when she caught a glimpse of the way the Tin Man was holding himself, she understood he needed the reassurance more than she was. "Come to show respect."

"Who does? Or what?" DG craned her neck to follow Raw as he moved towards the trees. "Raw, are you sure that's safe –"

The creature that emerged from the woods was unlike anything she'd seen before, and it simply took her breath away. Similar to a tiger on the Other Side, the animal was larger than any she'd ever seen – even on all fours, it's head came to Raw's shoulder. It was mostly gold in colour but had thick black stripes that seemed to move when it did, smooth fur that glistened as it caught the light as though there were a million minuscule diamonds at the end of every hair follicle. Its eyes were its most striking feature, glowing with gold as they scanned her companions before coming to settle on her.

She felt a compulsion to get down from her horse and get nearer, and it was a compulsion she gave in to. She was dimly aware of Cain telling her to get back on her mount but found herself ignoring him, making him curse. She wasn't at all surprised when he got down from his own, taking her arm with one hand while he reached for his gun with the other.

"Mean no harm," Raw repeated, shaking his head at Cain. "DG listen. Feel."

She did as she was instructed and gasped.

'Daughter of Light, Child of OZ.' The voice was warm and rich, like magic itself as it washed over her and made her own light sparkle underneath her skin. 'Welcome home.'

"Thank you." She took another small step forward, all Cain's hand at her waist would allow.

'We have heard much of you and your sister,' the creature continued, evidently unbothered by Cain's distrust of it. 'Is it true the one known as Azkadellia was possessed by the darkness?'

"It is." DG held her head up a little higher, resolutely holding those flashing gold eyes as she felt them search her for any sign of deception. "My sister was possessed by an evil witch almost sixteen annuals ago, a witch I mistakenly freed from her prison in a cave near the South. The Witch was referred to as the Sorceress and did unspeakable things to the land and the people of the OZ. My family seeks to heal as much as we can, to rebuild and recover from the taint the Witch's darkness left here."

The giant tiger-like creature considered her for a moment before tilting its large head. 'You accept responsibility for releasing the evil plague that swept our lands?'

She squared her shoulders and instinctively reached for Cain's hand before she answered. "I do. It was my fault, not Azkadellia's. I heard the Witch, not my sister. I released her; it was my fault."

She heard Cain mutter something from beside her, felt him tense in case the creature decided to attack.

It didn't. It bared its teeth to her, but she got the impression it was in approval and not in a threatening manner. 'We thank you for your honesty, Child of OZ. We welcome your return to the realm and the throne. The Kalidah tribe swear allegiance to the Princess DG and the House of Gale.'

"Thank you."

The huge creature turned with more grace than she thought it could possess and disappeared back into the foliage around them. The group stood in silence for a few moments longer, each taking time to process what had just happened.

"Who or what are the Kalidah?"

"Am I the only person who found it weird watching DG have a one-sided conversation with a giant bear-tiger?"

DG and Jeb spoke at the same time, looking at each other in confusion when they heard each other.

"I wasn't talking to myself; I was talking to him. Her. It." DG gestured after the creature, wishing she'd asked it for its name. "Wait, you mean no one else could hear it?"

"Raw could hear," the Viewer assured her in a low rumble. "Kalidah distant cousin to Viewer tribe. Once protected forests as Papay protect fields."

Putting aside the part about no one else being able to hear them, DG turned to Raw curiously. "You said they once protected the forests. What happened to them?"

"The Kalidah were thought to be extinct, Doll," Glitch answered for Raw, moving to stand beside her as he stared off into the trees where the creature had disappeared. "They have magic, which I'm sure you noticed. They were hunted for both their magic and their pelts during the Sorceress's reign. No one's seen one since about an annual after the Witch took the throne from your mother."

"Oh." DG followed her gaze, trying to see the creature but knowing instinctively it was long gone. "Is that why I could hear it, then? Because of my magic?"

Raw shook his head, a fond smile on his lips. "DG hear because Kalidah wanted her to. Called you Daughter of OZ."

"I noticed that," DG said, her brow furrowed. "I don't know what it means, though."

"You will," Raw told her cryptically. "Not Raw's place to say."

DG blinked in surprise at him, not expecting the answer he gave. "O-kay. That's interesting."

"What's interesting is you seemingly telling a potential predator that you're responsible for unleashin' the Witch." Cain's voice didn't surprise her as much as the thinly veiled anger in it. "What were you thinking, DG?"

"I –"

"You weren't thinking," he answered for her, his light blue eyes flashing. "You didn't stop to consider that creature might've decided to tear you limb from limb, did you? You can't keep assuming everyone, and everything here is a friend because it's not."

"I'd rather think of everything as a friend and be proved from than spent my life being suspicious of everything and everyone," DG countered, her ire rising in response to his. "And all I did was tell the truth, Cain. I am responsible! Why should I let anyone think differently?"

"You were a kid, DG. You can't be held accountable for what happened."

"But I am accountable. I heard the Witch. I broke the seal. I let go of Az's hand!"

"You were six." His jaw was clenched, the words forced out through gritted teeth. "You shouldn't've been left to wander the woods alone at that age."

She couldn't think of a good argument to that, except to tell him that from what she remembered of her childhood, which admittedly still wasn't a lot, it was a regular occurrence when she'd been at Finaqua with her parents. She and Azkadellia had often been left to their own devices, allowed the wander the grounds and explore the woods. Sure, they'd ventured a little further than usual that day, but it wasn't exactly unheard of for them to do so.

Before she could think of a counter-argument, Cain took a step closer, fully invading her personal space as he stared at her. "Is that why you're doing this tour, DG? It's not all about healin' the lands and getting help to the people, is it? You want to make sure everyone knows what happened that day."

"There's nothing wrong with wanting the truth to be known," she managed; she didn't have it in her to lie to him, no matter how much easier it would make things for her. "You're a Tin Man; truth and justice are what you're all about."

"Not if it puts your life at risk it's not."

His retort seemed to surprise him as much as it did her. Breathing heavily, they stared at each other, stuck at a seemingly impossible impasse.

It was only when their conversation ended that they remembered they weren't alone. Jeb cleared his throat after glancing at the guards, his men, and seeing that they were all busying themselves by checking out their surroundings or unnecessarily checking their horses, realised that it would fall to him to speak. Glitch and Raw exchanged a look that gave him the impression they'd either been waiting for the conversation to happen or were used to witnesses fiery exchanges between his father and the Princess, which given they'd not been around each other in almost an annual made him wonder.

"We should get moving," he said, injecting a note of command into his voice to get his men to listen. "Everyone back on your horse."

The guards were quick to follow his order, with Raw and Glitch moving at a slightly slower pace. His father and DG continued to stare at each other for a moment longer. Just as Jeb thought he'd have to intervene to break the stalemate between them, DG turned away and moved to the mare she'd been riding.

He met his father's gaze and saw regret lingering there before he, too, turned away.

The rest of the day's ride was completed in silence.

*/*


	11. Chapter 11

*/*

They found a clearing not far from a stream to make camp in. It was close enough that they would benefit from having the running water nearby but not too close that they'd be disturbed by the sound of it all night.

Neither the Princess or Tin Man had spoken a word to the other since the decision had been made, and Jeb was about ready to bang their heads together and order them to grow up,

"Patience," Raw had urged, speaking quietly to the younger Cain as they worked alongside one another to get the camp set up.

DG had gone with Glitch to fill their water canteens; his father was working silently with Rafe and Bran to set up the Princess's tent.

"Were they like this when you were searching for the emerald?" Jeb asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

Raw grinned. "DG and Tin Man like to disagree. Keeps things interesting."

"There's disagreeing, and there's falling out over it. Dad's furious she'd put herself in danger," Jeb observed.

"Cain protective of DG. How he shows he cares," Raw returned. "DG not used to having people care. Often argues with Azkadellia, too."

"Really?" For some reason, he couldn't imagine the sisters arguing, not after having seen them together after the Eclipse. Jeb thought back and could barely remember seeing one without the other, their light glowing between their joint hands as they clung to one another in the strange new world they'd found themselves in.

"DG lived different life," Raw reminded him in a gentle rumble. "Nurture units were kind but programmed to respond. DG not know love as we do; resists people trying to protect her, believes it makes her vulnerable."

"I can understand that," Jeb murmured, "but she doesn't know what she's let herself in for if she's wanting to be with my father. Protectiveness runs through him like blood; it's just who he is."

Raw nodded in agreement. "DG know. Loves that about father, but doesn't know yet how to live with it. Time," the Viewer continued, laying a reassuring hand on Jeb's hand that helped settle the nerves that had been building in his stomach. "Cain and DG need time. Both changed. Need to learn each other again."

"Let's just hope they don't kill each other while they're figuring it out, then," Jeb said with a sigh. He'd known it wouldn't be easy to watch his father move on with another woman, but he hadn't realised how hard it would be to watch his father stumble through the early stages of his relationship with DG when all he could do was silently cheer him on from the sidelines.

"Will all work out," Raw said confidently, and Jeb wished he could believe it so easily. "Both stubborn but both love deeply. Jeb not need to worry about father; his heart is safe with DG."

"I hope so, Raw." Jeb glanced at his father, who had his back to DG as the Princess returned to the camp. "I really hope so."

*\\*

It felt a little like déjà vu to be sat in front of a crackling fire, listening to her fellow campmate's talk in low voices. She enjoyed hearing Jeb tease and be teased by his men, seeing the younger Cain as the leader she knew he had been and would be again – was again, really, because as much as his appointment to Captain in the Royal Guard wasn't yet official, he'd effortlessly taken over command of her security detail with Rafe stepping aside in deference.

Cain's role was a little more complex and DG had spent most of the evening trying to puzzle it out. He deferred to Jeb when it came to making decisions about what they should do as a group, like when they stopped for breaks and where they made camp, but he had no hesitation in overriding his son where she was concerned.

When Jeb had suggested that her tent be a little further away from the others to afford her some privacy, both because she was a Princess as well as the only woman travelling in their group, he'd shut his son down before DG could even blink, insisting that her tent be at the heart of their camp with everyone else stationed around her.

She couldn't decide if he was acting like an over-protective lover – which they weren't, yet – or as her unofficial, self-appointed bodyguard, or both.

Her mind said both; her heart said this was the Wyatt Cain she'd fallen in love with and she had to get used to him being around in person instead of just in her dreams.

She'd always known he was the protective type; she'd seen it on their quest for the emerald even before they'd found Jeb. She'd seen it in the way he'd made sure they were all taken care of, her especially. She'd seen it in the way he mourned for Adora, the way he tried to protect Jeb even though his grown-up son hadn't wanted protecting.

He was the type of man she remembered watching in romantic movies on the Other Side, the kind of leading male she thought could only exist in fiction. Kind and caring with a hard edge when it came to those he loved being wronged. He was the type of man who would love wholly and completely, giving his all to those he chose to let in while keeping everyone else at a safe, almost cold distance. There was heat inside him, though, a passion he tried to keep hidden.

And he loved her.

It was what she'd wanted, what she'd hoped for.

Now she had it, she didn't quite know what to do with it.

Well, him.

Only she knew what she wanted to do. She knew she wanted to get to know him, to spend her life with him, to love him completely and wholly and passionately. If it weren't for the Prince, if it weren't for the fact their future together was uncertain, she wouldn't have let him stop their actions the night before. Maybe he wouldn't have wanted to stop them, either.

Propriety be damned, waiting until she was married be damned.

She might be a Princess, but she was still a woman and a woman in love at that.

But she couldn't...

Letting him, telling him to walk away from her before she'd let him in completely was hard enough. She couldn't imagine how hard it would be once she'd taken that last step and allowed herself to fall the whole way for her beautiful, brave, broken Tin Man.

Only hadn't she already done that? Wasn't she already all the way in love with him, or was it the idea of him she was in love with? The man she'd built him up to be in her mind while they'd been apart? Was that man different to the one sitting across the fire from her, or were they the same person?

"Hey, Deege," Glitch nudged her lightly as he held out a cup of heated muglug. "You need to eat something, Doll. Can't have you fading away on us."

"Thanks, Glitch." She took the soup with a smile even though she knew she wouldn't be eating much of it. Her appetite was all but gone, her busy thoughts keeping the hunger at bay. "What did you make of the Kalidah making contact like that? I know you said they were believed to be extinct, but what about before then? Did they have a good relationship with the crown?"

He was quiet for a moment, his features contorted in thought as the Ambrose side of his brain conferred with the Glitch side. "The Kalidah have always been an enigma. Some old accounts of contact with them suggest they represent the OZ itself, the ancient magic that runs through the land. They're an old race, older than most. Before the Witch, they tended to stay neutral. I don't recall them showing a particular loyalty to the Royal line, though perhaps there was something about an allegiance to Queen Ozma, I'd have to check the archives to be sure."

"Queen Ozma as in the last of her line, before she passed the throne and her light to the original Dorothy Gale?" DG closed her eyes for a moment, trying to remember what Tutor had told her in their very many lessons about the history of the OZ. "She was the last Ruler of the OZ to be chosen by the land itself, according to the legends."

"She was. She didn't have any heirs, choosing not to marry. When your ancestor returned for the third time and chose to stay, Ozma adopted her as her own. Those legends you speak of mention Glinda, the Good Witch of the South."

"Tutor mentioned her," DG remembered. "But I got the impression he didn't think she was real. He said she was some kind of deity?"

"She was rumoured to be a goddess by some, a fairy by others. Good witch most of all," Glitch smiled a little. "In the legends, Glinda was said to have combined her magic with Ozma's so they could gift it to Dorothy and start the legacy that is the House of Gale line. It was said she had grown weary of this world and wanted to move to the next but couldn't because her magic was tied into that of the OZ itself."

"The ancient magic you said the Kalidah have. It's the same as Glinda's?"

"The very same, which if you believe that, means it's the same that runs through your blood, too, DG. Their choosing to show themselves to you now, when the House of Gale is arguably at its weakest, could be seen as a proof of that theory." Glitch gave her an encouraging smile. "It's a positive omen, Doll. Not one to look worried about."

"You said they'd never shown particular loyalty to the Royal Family, not since Ozma," DG said slowly.

"That's right," Glitch confirmed, nodding as he started to eat his soup before it could get cold. When he noticed she wasn't doing the same, he arched an eyebrow and spoke around his next mouthful. "That's not going to eat itself, DG."

"It swore allegiance to the House of Gale," DG said softly.

Glitch almost choked on his soup, spluttering as it went down the wrong way. DG hit on the back to help him, her eyes wide with concern.

"Are you okay, Glitch?"

"What did it say to you?" Glitch ignored her question in favour of asking one of his own. His stare was intense, his evening meal forgotten as he turned to face her, unaware of the attention that was now solely focused on them. "What was its exact words, DG?"

"It said the Kalidah tribe swore allegiance to the House of Gale," DG repeated. "Why? Is that a bad thing?"

"Not exactly what was said," Raw interrupted before Glitch could compose himself. "Kalidah said the tribe swore allegiance to the Princess DG and the House of Gale."

Glitch stared at her, wide-eyed and speechless for one of the few times DG could remember. Raw didn't seem too concerned, shrugging when DG glanced at him. When she looked around the others, all who'd fallen silent to watch, she was a little gratified to see they at least looked as confused as she felt. Cain, though, managed to look both confused and concerned, which made her wonder if she should be, too.

"Why does it matter what it said? It's a good thing, isn't it? If this is the first time they've shown loyalty to a member of the Royal Family since Ozma, it's good for my mother and for Az." Azkadellia would be taking the throne after their mother chose to step down, and DG was determined to win her sister as many allies as she could before that day came.

"It mentioned you specifically, DG," Glitch told her, his voice quiet and awe-filled. "That has to mean something."

She wasn't convinced it did, her stomach twisting uncomfortably at Glitch's words. "It means I'm the first member of the Royal Family they've met since the Witch's fall. That's all."

Glitch stared at her for a few moments more, to the point where she started to feel uncomfortable. From across the fire, Cain cleared his throat, and the sound was enough to jolt the advisor from his internal musings. "I'm sure you're right, DG."

It sounded a lot like a lie, but DG was willing to take it at face value. "Well, as fun as this has been, I think I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight, everyone."

She sighed but said nothing as the guards around the fire stood when she did, arching an eyebrow only when Cain slowly got to his feet and walked to her side of the fire. Without a word, he motioned for her to follow him and led the way to the tent that had been set up for her.

Her Tin Man entered it first, hand on his gun. If she hadn't felt so churned up inside, she would have found it amusing that he thought there was even the slightest chance of someone getting into the tent without them noticing.

"Put up a silencing spell, DG," he told her when she followed him inside, turning to face her once he was sure they were alone.

She did what he asked without question, showing the depth of her trust for him despite their being at odds with one another. "If you want me to say I'm sorry for telling the truth, I'm afraid I can't do that, Cain. I stand by what I said to the Kalidah. I am responsible for what happened, and if telling everyone that makes it easier for Az to be accepted, then that's what I'll do."

"I know, and I'd be surprised if you didn't. Doesn't mean I have to like it," he admitted, taking off his fedora so he could run his hand through his hair. "I don't like you puttin' yourself at risk, Deege. I'm never gonna like it."

"I'd be surprised if you did," she returned, a small smile tugging the corners of her mouth. "But that's what you're here for, isn't it? To keep me safe when I run headlong into trouble?"

His lips twitched, but the smile didn't fully materialise. He threw his fedora down onto his pack, which she noticed had already been put in the corner of her tent before taking a step towards her, then another. He didn't stop until he was right in front of her, close enough to touch but keeping his hands to himself.

"I'm never going stop worrying about you, DG. That's not who I am. If that's going to be a problem..."

"It's not," she interrupted, closing the gap between them. She put her hand on his cheek, smiling when he leaned into it. "But you'll have to give me time to get used to it, and you have to realise I'm never going to be the type to sit back and let someone do everything for me," she added with a wry smile. "Princess or not, I'm not good at that."

"I know, and I'll get used to it." He let his hand lift to her face, brushing a dark curl out of her eyes. "Eventually."

"Good." She tilted her face up just as he lowered his, sighing softly as their lips brushed. "I don't like arguing with you."

"Me either." He wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her closer. "But I have a feeling we're going be doing it a lot."

A small laugh escaped her as she leaned into him. "I have a feeling you're right about that. But there's one good thing that happens after arguments."

"Oh?"

"The making up." Her smile turned mischievous as she turned her head to look at him, the glint in her eyes causing his to darken in turn.

He lowered his face to hers again, capturing her lips in a searing kiss.

*/*


	12. Chapter 12

*/*

For the second morning in a row, he woke with his princess in his arms. DG was still sound asleep as he slowly became aware of his surroundings, and he took advantage of the opportunity to study her without making her self-conscious.

She still looked pale, but the shadows under her eyes had started to recede. Her features were relaxed and calm, a small smile on her lips as she tried to burrow further into his warmth. He tightened his hold on her so he could roll them over, keeping her between the side of the tent and his body on the narrow cot.

She'd lost weight, he realised, not that there'd been much of it for her to lose. Thinking back, he couldn't remember seeing her eat much more than a bite or two during the meals they'd shared; she'd barely touched her muglug the night before, and he doubted she'd had much of an appetite during her evening meal the night before that with the Lord he'd heard nothing but bad things about.

While DG was preoccupied with her mission to heal the OZ and clear Azkadellia's name, he'd make it his mission to take care of her. She'd fight him at first, of that he had no doubt, but she was going to have to get used to it.

As if sensing his thoughts and wanting to protest them, DG began to stir. She woke slowly, her eyelids fluttering before she opened them to look at him. When she saw he was already awake and gazing at her, a beautiful smile spread across her face, and it was all he could do to lean in and kiss her in greeting.

"Good morning," he mumbled against her lips.

"Mmm, morning." She stretched against him, a wicked sparkle in her eye at the muted groan he gave in response. "I could get used to waking up like this."

"Precariously balanced on a cot in a cold tent in the middle of the forest?"

She snorted a laugh and rolled her eyes at him. "Of course, what else could I mean?"

They lay watching each other for a few moments more until sounds from outside of the tent started to intrude on the moment. Knowing it was time to get back to reality, Cain stole another soft kiss from her lips before rolling away from her and off the cot, rising swiftly to his feet.

DG watched him unashamedly, a smile playing on her mouth. "Very graceful. You'll have to show me how you do that."

He snorted and shook his head. "You're too tangled in the blankets to attempt it without breakin' something."

She was wrapped in the blanket and, she belatedly realised, in his duster. Snuggling into the latter with a sigh of contentment that it still held his scent, she watched him methodically get ready to face the day, collecting what he needed to take down to the stream with him to clean up but making sure anything unnecessary was neatly folded and stored in his pack.

"What's so amusing?" He asked when he turned around and noticed her watching with a smirk on her face.

"You're a neat freak," she told him matter-of-factly. "Have you always been so neat and tidy or is it a Tin Man thing?"

"It's a 'my mother would've had my hide if I didn't tidy up after myself' thing," he told her. "She was downright frightenin' when she wanted to be."

The mention of his mother brought his father to mind, and DG sat up on the cot, her eyes narrowed. "Speaking of parents, are you sure you don't want to go and see your father? He said it'd been eight annuals, maybe more, since he last saw you. It's why he thought you and Jeb had died during the war."

"We're going to go and see him, on the way back to Central City when you're done on your tour."

"You don't have to wait until then," she told him quietly. "You and Jeb could go now. I'm sure Sam would be thrilled to see you."

"He'll be just as thrilled to see us in a few weeks," Cain assured her. "I'm not going anywhere unless you're going with me, no arguments. Which means you've got about two minutes to get yourself out of bed and ready to go to the stream to wash."

She tried pouting to see if he would make him lenient, but his response was to arch an eyebrow and stride towards the cot. He leaned in, and she thought, just for a second, that he was about to kiss her, but he merely held himself a few inches away from her and reached out to yank his duster from around her shoulders.

"That was mean, Cain," she complained, rubbing her arms when the cool air hit her through the shirt she'd slept in.

"The name's Wyatt, DG. When we're alone at least." He shrugged into his duster and reached for her coat, tossing it to her. "One minute left."

Grumbling the whole time, DG reluctantly left the relative comfort of the cot and started to collect her things. She muttered under her breath about overbearing Tin Men, but Cain didn't comment, standing patiently by the flap of the tent until she was done.

She was just about ready to leave when a thought struck her and she stopped, staring at him with wide eyes.

"What?"

"You spent the night in here," she said, covering her mouth with a hand.

"I'm aware of that," Cain replied wryly.

"And so is everyone else! What will they think? What will Jeb think?" Her cheeks flushed and she blinked at him. "Oh, my god. If my parents found out, they'd flip."

"Not quite sure what flippin' has to do with it but I'm sure it won't get back to them, Deege." His expression was entirely unconcerned. "Besides, I think I've made my intentions towards you quite clear. If I hadn't, Jeb would've no doubt set anyone straight if they were nosey enough to ask."

"Your intentions," she repeated slowly. "You're talking about the whole courting thing."

He smirked, amused. "Yes."

"Potential betrothals aside, what does the courting thing entail, exactly?" She shrugged into her coat, wrapping it around herself as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"The courtin' thing?" Cain repeated. "Hasn't anyone explained it to you? Your parents, your sister? The Headcase?"

"My parents are busy trying to run a country, my sister isn't exactly wanting for suitors what with the whole 'evil wore her face' for half of her life so it would be a little insensitive to ask, and I'm pretty sure Glitch is the last person I should be talking to about this stuff. You never know when he's going to glitch and start telling the gardener what he's been talking about that day, and if you're really unlucky and get Ambrose just after, he's just as likely to go running to my Mother and tell her I'm planning to elope with said gardener. Things tend to get very confusing with him around."

Cain stared at her, trying to figure out if what she'd said had actually happened or was just a very plausible theory. "You know about suitors."

"I have several," she answered with a dismissive shrug. "I've thus far managed to avoid meeting any of them."

"Other than me," he pointed out.

"You're different," she protested with the roll of her eyes. "You're, well, you."

"I'm glad we established that." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Courting is what's done when a suitor makes their intentions known and they're not immediately rebuffed. If you'd met with any of your other suitors, they'd be sending you gifts, makin' arrangements to visit you at the palace, that sort of thing."

"You're not sending me gifts but you're here and you're sharing my tent." She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. "Am I expected to spend the night with my suitors?"

His face burned, his cheeks growing an amusing shade of red as he stared at her. "No!"

"So just you then?" It was DG's turn to raise an eyebrow. "You said they wouldn't think much of you being in here because of your intentions. Your intentions are to court me, which are the same as any of the other suitors so – Cain? Wyatt?" She gulped as he strode towards her, taking his time but with a look of intent on his face.

"My intentions," he told her seriously, "are to make you mine. I want to marry you, DG. I want to make a life with you. Putting the whole betrothal aside, you've not turned me away."

Her knees had gone weak at some point during his explanation and she found herself reaching out to grab his duster by the lapels just to keep herself upright. "I'm not turning you away," she agreed, gazing up at him.

"Then that's enough for now," he murmured, hands resting momentarily on her hips before he took a reluctant step back. "Minutes up, Princess."

"Oh, how I wish we had more than a minute." Turning away from him with effort, she grabbed what she needed before turning back to see him open the tent so she could precede him outside.

There were greeted with good mornings and hellos from their fellow travellers and, though she looked for it, she saw no sign that anyone was surprised or judging of the fact that Cain walked out of her tent behind her.

*\\*

Fordham was a bigger town than Hirshall. The greeting they received was a little more wary, polite but uncertain as if the people of the town weren't sure why she'd chosen to visit them.

There was no Mayor to speak to, but the town's sheriff and healer stepped forward and introduced themselves as the nominated representatives.

The Sheriff gave Cain a speculative look when he stepped up, fingers hooked into his belt. "Cain, did you say? Wouldn't happen to be Wyatt Cain, would it?"

Cain tipped his fedora back so he could get a clearer look at the man and vice versa. They stared at one another for a moment before slow grins spread across their faces. "Marty Bryant?"

"The one and the same." Bryant's grin widened at being recognised. "What's it been, Cain? Twenty annuals at least."

"At least," Cain agreed, thinking back to the last time he'd seen his fellow Tin Man. They'd worked the beat together in Central City before Jeb had been born and Bryant had chosen to leave the city for pastures new. "So this is where you ended up."

"It is." Bryant closed the gap between them, his hand outstretched. Cain took it to shake and was pulled into a half hug, and clapped enthusiastically on the back. "C'mon, I'll show you around."

And with that, the group split up. Jeb and Bran accompanied his father and DG with Bryant on their tour of the town. Myers accompanied Raw to the healer's office, while Elliot went with Glitch as they were shown the town's systems for water and generating power. Thompson, Bates and Rafe had remained back at their camp, keeping watch over their belongings to make sure everything was kept secure for the Princess's return. They'd decided not to stay in the town itself, mostly due to their extended numbers.

Though the townspeople were wary at first, they soon started to thaw as their distrust faded to acceptance. DG was pleased no noble or dignitary was demanding an audience with her and instead was content to tag along as Cain caught up with Bryant, her status as Princess of the Realm temporarily forgotten.

Such as the reprieve that DG was able to speak to some of the people of the town on her own. Well, Jeb insisted on going with her as she excused herself from the conversation, sensing there were things Cain and Bryant wanted to talk about that they couldn't with her being present.

The people of Fordham didn't bat an eyelid at seeing her after a while, and when she offered her services to try and help fix a generator that wasn't working to Glitch's satisfaction, they agreed to let her try.

They'd been expecting her to use magic she knew, but were surprised when she rolled up the sleeves of her shirt and got her hands quite literally dirty. She was in her element, taken back to the days when she could just be herself and not try to live up to the expectations place don her because of her title.

Her actions won over the last of the sceptics amongst the town, and they started to talk to her freely as though she was one of them and not their Princess. It was then she started to talk about Azkadellia and her sister's possession, answering their questions without hesitation even as a little voice at the back of her mind, which sounded suspiciously like Cain's, warned her about being too honest.

She needed to tell them the truth, though. She needed them to know her sister was as much a victim as anyone else during the Sorceress's reign. She noticed Jeb listening intently and wondered if he was listening because he was intrigued in the answers, too, or if he was mentally memorising everything she'd said so he could report it back to his father later.

There were some who were cynical, some who were surprised. After a lot of questions, most seem to accept what she'd told them and as Joseph had done in Hirshall, they thanked her for her honesty before going back to their own homes and lives, no doubt to discuss what they'd learned with their families and friends.

DG stayed at the base of the generator, focusing on the task at hand when she was left with only Jeb for company.

"You're determined to clear your sister's name," Jeb said conversationally, crouching down to get a better look at what she was doing. "Do you think it's going to help?"

"I don't know," she admitted, gritting her teeth as she tried to loosen a particularly stubborn nut and bolt. She would not give in and let her magic to loosen it for her. "But I have to try, Jeb. She doesn't deserve to be the subject of such hatred and distrust."

Jeb gave a small nod and was quiet for a few moments before speaking again. "Aren't you afraid that by telling them what happened that they might turn that hatred and distrust onto you?"

"No. If they do, then it's because it's deserved." She smiled in satisfaction when she was finally able to take apart the piece she was sure was the problem. "I'll live with the consequences of it."

"What if the consequences are that some don't think you should live?" Jeb asked quietly. She glanced up at him and saw the concern in his blue eyes, so like his father's it made her pause. "My father is right, DG, you were just a child when it happened. Most will see it that way, but I can guarantee there'll be some that won't."

DG huffed a humourless laugh and started reassembling the part she'd taken to pieces once she'd removed a broken bit and replaced it with another. "I think those people are mostly at Court, or on my mother's Council." She bit her lip in concentration and then smiled when everything started to come together. "I know your father thinks I'm being reckless and naïve, but I know what I'm doing, Jeb. I'm doing what I have to do to make amends for what I caused."

"You were six," Jeb told her.

"So everyone keeps telling me."

"Maybe if we keep telling you, you'll start to listen." It was a Cain who spoken but not the younger one she'd been expecting. DG looked up as a shadow was cast over her, smiling up at him innocently when she noticed he and Bryant for the first time. "I think that shirt is a lost cause, Princess."

She glanced down at the oil and grease stained garment, shrugging in an entirely unconcerned manner. "Better the shirt than the generator."

It took a few minutes more for her to finish what she was doing as they watched. She got to her feet, wiping her dirty hands on the ruined shirt as she stretched her back and shoulders to ease the dull ache in them from being bent over for so long. "I think that should be working now."

Bryant gestured for it to be turned on, and they all stood back to watch as the generator started to turn, slowly at first before picking up speed. "Well I'll be damned," Bryant whistled. "Can't remember the last time the thing worked so well."

"You could've used your magic, Deege," Cain admonished lightly after a moment of admiring the working piece of machinery. "Would've been a lot cleaner."

"But nowhere near as much fun." DG grinned at him, pleased with her success. "Did you boys have fun catching up?"

Bryant snorted, his gaze speculatively as he glanced between his old friend and the princess. "You're causin' quite a stir, Princess. You ain't what people were expecting."

"I try not to be. I find it keeps life interesting that way."

"That I'm sure it does." Bryant watched as Cain picked up DG's coat since she couldn't without it getting ruined, the Tin Man draping it over one arm as he let his other hand rest against the Princess's back. "There's gonna be a party in the town centre tonight to mark your visit. We'd be mighty honoured if you and your guard would join us."

DG glanced briefly at Cain and Jeb, watching the men exchange a look before Cain gave her the smallest of nods. "We'd like that, Sheriff. Thank you for the invitation."

Bryant nodded in acknowledgement. "I know you folks ain't staying in town but there's rooms at the inn if you want to get cleaned up some."

"Think that's a hint you're a bit of a mess, Princess," Jeb told her in a loud whisper, earning a smirk from his father and a glare from DG.

*/*


	13. Chapter 13

*/*

They thanked Bryant for the hospitality and went on to meet up with the other members of their group. It was agreed DG would stay in town and take advantage of having a room with hot running water at her disposal, with Cain staying with her as her security. Glitch and Raw would remain in town, too, finishing the work they'd started with the locals. Jeb volunteered to stay with them, which meant the others could go back to camp, update their companions and decide amongst themselves which of them would return. DG didn't think it was fair that anyone would have to miss out so offered to head back to camp herself once she was cleaned up so she could cast a perimeter spell on their belongings so that it would be secure enough to allow them all to attend the festivities. It took some convincing for Cain and Jeb to agree, but eventually, they did.

Satisfied she'd gotten her way, DG let Cain lead the way to the Inn, where she conjured up a change of clothes from the trunk she'd left back in her tent – nothing too fancy, just a simple blouse and skirt she'd packed for less formal occasions.

Clothes laid out on the bed, she wandered into the bathroom and started to run her bath, keeping the door slightly ajar so she could hear Cain and he could hear her.

She stripped off her shirt and studied it before agreeing that it was absolutely beyond repair. Remembering that old clothes on the farm back in Kansas had been reutilised as cloths, she kicked it to the side and made a note to see if it would be of use to anyone before she threw it away.

Steam started to circle from the warm water and fill the room. She toed off her shoes and peeled off her trousers, standing in her underwear as she waited for the bath to fill.

"DG?" Cain knocked softly on the door. "You decent?"

"Um." Glancing down at her underwear-clad body, DG didn't think he'd agree if she said yes. It would be testing their restraint a little too far, she feared. Spotting the bath towel warming on the radiator, she reached for it and wrapped it around her body. "Yep."

He pushed the door open once he'd received confirmation, the way his eyebrows raised when he caught sight of her suggesting that maybe he disagreed. She felt her skin heat at the way his eyes roved over her body and had to clear her throat to draw his gaze back to her face. The look in his eyes had her swallowing hard.

"You wanted something?" She managed, her voice low.

"I want a whole lot of things," Cain answered gruffly, taking a step towards her before he stopped himself with visible effort. "The owner wanted to know if you want feedin'. Said they could do soup and sandwiches if you're hungry."

Food wasn't the first thing on her mind but she nodded anyway. A nod apparently wasn't enough, though, as Cain continued to stare at her instead of leaving the room. She held the towel where it was knotted against her chest and wondered what his reaction would be if she let it drop to the floor.

After a long moment trying to decide whether to do just that, she was then slightly disappointed when Cain gave her one last longing filled look before turning on his heel and walking through the door.

Sighing to herself, DG unwound the towel and put it back on the radiator. She turned off the taps, noting the water was high enough and stripped out of her underwear so she could submerge herself beneath the water in the bathtub.

One day, she promised, she'd have the confidence to drop the towel.

One day.

*\\*

Laughter and dancing were the main activities of the evening. Well, those and drinking. There was a lot of drinking.

DG found herself sat around a large bonfire in the centre of the town, not caring that being so close to it was going to make her freshly washed hair smell of smoke again. She couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed so much, or felt so relaxed.

She was in no way drunk, having only had one cup of the fruity punch she'd been offered on arrival. She knew better than to let her guard down to that extent, even with seven Royal Guards and her very own Tin Man in attendance to her safe. Rafe, Bates, Bran and Myers had allowed themselves one drink at Jeb's say so but no more than that. Thompson, Elliot and Jeb hadn't let a drop touch their lips and she felt bad about it. As for her Tin Man, he was pretty much glued to her side and she suspected the cup he was holding was merely for show so not to offend their guests.

But even sober, she managed to enjoy the festivities a lot more than she'd thought she would, enjoying the way all formalities were dropped as the townsfolk seemed to forget there was a member of royalty in their midst. Of course, it helped that she was able to sit so close to Cain all night, all but cuddled into his side as they watched the dancing together when he wasn't caught up in conversation with Bryant.

That was fun, too, for her as much as for Jeb. Cain maybe didn't find it quite as amusing as the alcohol loosened Bryant's tongue quite a bit and he had no problem telling them about the exploits himself and a younger Wyatt Cain had got up to during their days at the Tin Man Academy as well as when on patrol in Central City.

It was a good evening, one of her favourites since being back in the OZ. She almost regretted their decision not to stay in the town when the evening started to draw to an end, wishing there was a way to stretch it out instead of needing to say their goodbyes and head back to their camp.

They wouldn't be returning in the morning, instead setting off first thing for her planned meeting with the Western Guild.

She reluctantly let Cain pull her to her feet and tightened her hold on his hand when he went to let her go. She saw him look at her from under his hat, his face mostly in shadows that kept dancing like the flames that cast them. After a momentary pause, he seemed to accept whatever he saw on her face and didn't try to let go again.

Bryant extracted a promise they'd visit again when they were next able before letting them leave, having clearly enjoyed catching up with Cain as much as her Tin Man had enjoyed catching up with him.

The walk back to camp was a quiet one but the mood was good. The trip to Fordham had helped repair some of the damage Lord Tilton had managed to inflict on their moods and it was with cautious optimism that they looked towards the next leg of their journey.

"I still think having eight guards for myself, Glitch and Raw is a little too much," DG murmured from her place between Jeb and Cain, not wanting to offend the others who'd been so good to her. "The whole point of this tour was to try and reacquaint myself with the OZ and its people, not make it obvious I can't just be a normal person."

"Having eight guards didn't seem to make much of a difference to the folk back there," Jeb told her. "They weren't treating you the way I imagine they would do your Mother and Father."

"Or my sister," DG added with a sigh.

"I think they might be more open to Azkadellia now than they were before," Jeb reassured her. "I heard a couple of them talking, Princess. Word of what you said to them this afternoon is getting' round."

Cain made a noise beside her that suggested he still wasn't entirely happy with it but other than the slight tightening of his grip on her hand, he didn't otherwise react.

"I hope so. I just want people to see Az for who she really is, and not for the Witch. It just frustrates me," DG admitted as the group made their way to camp. A quick check of the spell she'd cast told her no one had been there since they'd left she nodded at the question on Jeb's face before continuing their conversation. "Everyone's so quick to forgive me but not Az, and she's been through more than anyone. She had to live through it all and was powerless to stop it. She was imprisoned in her own mind, forced to watch herself do all of that. Can you imagine that? Being a spectator while your hands kill the person you love most in the whole wide world? That's what the Witch did to her."

Cain followed her line of thought better than some of their companions, giving her hand a quick squeeze of silent support. "The Witch made her kill you."

"She was screaming the whole time," DG murmured, closing her eyes against the memory. "In her head. She was screaming and crying but no one could hear her, Cain."

A low grumble from Raw had her opening her eyes to find the Viewer staring at her in concern. "DG take Azkadellia memory."

"I shared it, I couldn't take it." DG shook her head. "I think... Maybe I managed to tone it down a little in her mind but I couldn't take it. I wish I could. I wish I could take it all from her. I would in a heartbeat."

"We know, Deege." Glitch gave her a sympathetic smile, his dark eyes shining. "And so does Azkadee."

Suddenly exhausted from the day's events and the evening's festivities, DG bid them all goodnight and headed straight for her tent, knowing it wouldn't be long before Cain followed her.

She couldn't turn to look at him when she heard his soft footsteps behind her, knowing he'd deliberately made the sound so not to startle her. The man could be a freaking ninja when he wanted to be, sneaking up on her when she least suspected it.

"I'm sorry you felt you had to take Az's memory like that," he said quietly, stopping behind her and setting his hands on her shoulder.

"Shared it," she corrected just as quietly, though lifted a hand to cover one of his. "I thought it couldn't get any weirder having seen her kill me when Raw showed us at the Ice Palace but it was. To see it from Az's eyes, from an outsider's perspective and from my own memory..." She broke off with a shudder. "I don't know if I would be as strong as Az is if I had all those memories in my head, Wyatt. That's just one of them. Yeah, it might be one she struggles with most but the Witch did so many horrible things to so many. My sister has to live with that as if it really were her doing them."

"I can't even begin to imagine the horrors she bore witness to, Deege, but you can't keep blaming yourself for it. You are not the Witch. You didn't make her do those things." He turned her to face him gently, moving a hand to cup her cheek. "You know how strongly you feel about people accepting Az? How protective you are of her and how frustrated you get when you can't do that the way you want to?"

DG gave a small nod, her eyes bright and curious as she leaned into his palm and gazed up at him. "Yes."

"That's how I feel when I hear you blamin' yourself, DG. If I promise to help you convince people that your sister isn't the Witch, will you promise you'll try and not blame yourself?"

"I can promise I'll try," DG said after a pause. She didn't want to make any promises she couldn't keep but she was willing to try if it would make him happy.

Cain pressed a kiss against her forehead. "That's good enough for me. Time to get some sleep, Princess. Tomorrow, we meet the Western Guild."

"If they'll see us," DG pointed out, remembering that their attempts at correspondence had gone unanswered. "No one's seen or heard from them in annuals. It could be we get there and find the Witch destroyed them all."

"Could be," he agreed. "Didn't Azkadellia say anything about them from the Witch's memories?"

"No, she can't access them all. Sometimes the Witch would block things from her as a way of punishing her, reminding her who was in control." DG's heart ached anew fo everything her sister had gone through at the Witch's hand. "We won't know what we're going to find until we get there and see it for ourselves."

Cain grimaced, the thought unsettling him. "Then we best be ready for all possibilities."

She didn't disagree and allowed him to lead her to the cot they would share, settling herself in the circle of his arms and pulling the blanket over them both.

*/*


	14. Chapter 14

*/*

The closer they got to the territory of the Western Guild, the more on edge the group began to get. It started when they realised the forest around them had fallen silent, with none of the usual birdsong or rustle of leaves as small animals made their way unseen under the foliage. It continued when they eventually heard an unusual sound, one that stopped them in their tracks as they all stopped to listen.

"Sounds like wind chimes," Rafe commented, his hand flexing over the handle of the sword fixed at his waist. "Some of the smaller tribes used to use 'em to try and scare the Longcoats so they wouldn't get too close."

Jeb nodded. "They're meant as a warning as much as a defence. We'll go slow. Everyone on guard, keep close together. Princess, Raw, Glitch, you three keep to the middle."

"We're not exactly defenceless, you know," Glitch grumbled even as he directed his horse to fall into step with DG surrounded by the guards. "I can fight just as well as you."

"I'm sure you can," Jeb answered calmly, "but for the purposes of this trip, you're here as a diplomat and not one of the Princess's guards."

"This Princess isn't useless when it comes to a fight, either," DG piped up, arching an eyebrow when Jeb looked at her. "I'm not arguing with you, I'll do what I'm told. But I'm not good at playing damsel in distress, just FYI."

"FYI?" Jeb queried, glancing at his father for clarification. Cain shrugged, showing he was as clueless as his son.

"For your information." DG rolled her eyes and sighed. "It's an Other Side thing."

"Good to know," Jeb said drily. "Eyes ahead, people, We're heading straight into Western Guild territory."

They continued to ride undisturbed for almost two hours. By that time, DG had started to feel restless being sandwiched between all of the guards, and she knew Raw was picking up on it as he shifted uncomfortably beside her despite the shield she'd tried to keep up between them.

"DG not need to shield self from Raw," the Viewer murmured at one point. "Raw can't help if not know DG need him."

"You'll know when I need you, Raw," DG responded with a wide-eyed smile full of affection. "You always do." They continued in silence for a little while and then Glitch sighed, shifting uncomfortably in his saddle. "Are you okay, Glitch?"

"Fine, Doll," but it was said with another sigh so she wasn't entirely convinced. "Don't you think we should've seen something by now? Some sign that the Western Guild are here, or at least that they know we're here?"

"The wind chimes are a sign someone's here, or used to be," Cain told him, his expression tense. "Don't assume there's no one watchin' just 'cause you can't see them, Zipperhead."

His terse voice made DG sit up straighter in her saddle. "You think we're being watched."

"Pretty sure of it," Cain murmured, speaking out of the corner of his mouth. "Keep your guard up and be ready to defend yourself if you need to, Deege."

She didn't need telling twice, and concentrated on the light inside her. Summoning it near to the surface but not visible to the outside, she readied a defensive shield spell and an offensive energy blast spell just in case. Beside her, Glitch and Raw sat up straighter, their attention fully focused on their surroundings.

Their pace slowed, appearing casual to the outside eye though DG knew it was caution causing Jeb and Rafe to slow down up front. She herself didn't know where to look, whether to look to the front, to the sides or behind. Anticipation hung in the air, all of them prepared for some sort of assault but not knowing from which direction it would come.

When it did, it took them by surprise.

The ground opened up in front of Jeb and Rafe's horses, making them rear up. As the rest of their horses reacted skittishly, thick nets were dropped on them from above.

"Damn it! DG!" Cain called out for her even as he tried to keep his horse from panicking. "Stay in the middle!"

She didn't have a choice but to obey the barked order, the net leaving their horses little room to manoeuvre. There were several curses, some muttered and some not, as the group struggled to control their mounts and keep their wits about them. Jeb got down from his horse to better control it, and the others followed suit.

When the net was removed, they were surrounded by female warriors, all armed with sharp swords and spears.

"Who sent you?" The leader hissed, her face concealed by the mask she wore. "Why do you trespass on our territory?"

"I think you'll find this is the territory of the House of Gale, as the whole of the OZ is," Jeb responded.

"The House of Gale is gone," the woman told him. "The Sorceress is no more Gale than you or I."

"The Sorceress is dead," Jeb told her. "She was killed by the Princesses DG and Azkadellia at the Double Eclipse."

"Lies!" The warrior woman hissed. In the blink of an eye, the blade of the sword she held was pressed against his throat. "Azkadellia is a princess no more; she is the Sorceress. And the Princess DG is dead,"

"Um, no, actually." DG fought her way out from beside her horse in the middle of the group, hurriedly shoving its reins to Glitch. She heard Cain mutter something under his breath but side-stepped him so she could be seen by the woman holding the pointy end of her sword to Jeb's throat. "Rumours of my death were over-exaggerated. Well, not really, because I did actually die, but I'm back now and my sister is not the Sorceress. She was possessed by an evil witch but she's not now. We killed her. The Witch, not Az." Aware she was babbling, DG moved to stand beside Jeb and came to a stop when she was sure she had the full attention of the leader. "I'm sorry you think we're trespassing; we did try to send word ahead that I was coming. I'm DG, Princess DG. Would you be from the Western Guild?"

The leader glanced away from Jeb to look at DG but kept her sword where it was. "How do we know you are who you claim to be and this is not a plot of the Sorceress to access our lands?"

"Tell me what I can do to prove I am who I say and I'll do it." DG held her gaze unflinchingly.

The woman lowered her sword but the warriors around her continued to aim their weapons at the group. She motioned to the woman on her left and whispered something into her ear. Within moments, the other warrior turned to leave, walking no more than a few feet from where the ground had given way before she vanished seemingly into thin air.

DG schooled her features into a blank expression, knowing any reaction she made would be noted. She waited, holding the green-eyed gaze of the woman standing before them. DG wished her opponent wasn't wearing a mask as it revealed only her eyes and nothing of her facial expression.

After what felt like an impossibly long time, the second woman returned, with a cloaked figure in tow. Even without Raw's low murmur behind her and before the newcomer pushed back the hood of their cloak, DG knew that that the cloaked figure was a Viewer.

"Step forward," the leader of the group ordered.

Cain touched her arm before she could. "Be careful, DG,"

Smiling in appreciation that he didn't tell her not to, DG gave him a small nod before doing as she was commanded. She stopped in front of the leader and the Viewer, a female, and waited.

The Viewer gave a speculative look and reached out to take her hand. As their palms connected, the Viewer closed her eyes, lips parting in a gasp. Her eyes moved under their closed lids, her brow furrowing as DG felt her search her mind.

After another long moment, the Viewer dropped her hand and lowered her head in respect. "It is true. Princess DG has returned."

As one, the female warriors sheathed their swords and dropped to one knee before her.

"Welcome, Princess DG, to the Western Guild."

*/*

The magic veil that kept the Western Guild's territory from being discovered by any outsiders felt ancient and somehow familiar. DG pondered it as their group passed through it, turning her head to look at the ripples of light she could see across its surface.

"How do you sustain it?" She asked the leader of the warriors, who had identified herself as Ishta, second daughter to Commander Wynn of the Western Guild. "Do you have magic users here?"

"We have some, but none strong enough to maintain the barrier. It was gifted to our people many, many annuals ago by Lady Glinda herself," Ishta informed her as they walked side by side towards the village that was starting to become visible through the trees.

Wooden huts of all sizes surrounded a larger building that seemed to be a communal area given the number of people in the area. Men, women and children, all dressed in either the leather garments of the warrior women or in simple tunic dresses or shirts and pants set about their usual daily activities, paying the returning members of their tribe no heed at first. When they noticed the strangers with them, they paused for a moment but continued on when none of the warriors signalled there was danger.

"Glinda was known to your people?" Glitch asked, his eyes wide.

"She was. She gifted us with the shield as protection against those who would do is harm or enslave us," Ishta told them. "Our people were prisoners for a long time, forced to work for an evil witch."

"The Witch?" DG, startled, almost tripped over her own feet.

"Perhaps not the same Witch, perhaps a relative. It was many, many annuals ago," Ishta's said. "When your ancestor first arrived in these lands, she is said to have killed the witch who treated us so badly. Glinda felt badly that she'd been unable to help us so provided the shield so no other could do to the Western Guild what had been done to us before."

"I'm sorry to hear what was done to your people," DG told her sincerely. "And I'm glad you were able to escape detection from the Witch when she rose to power. Not enough were."

"We wish to hear all about it, Princess." The voice was older, male, and belonged to the man who had moved to stand outside of the largest building. Decked out long robes decorated with coloured feathers, a leather belt at his waist and a headpiece of both leather and feathers that made him stand out as an important person amongst the tribe.

DG lowered her head in a mark of respect before lifting her gaze back to his. "I would be honoured to speak with you and answer any questions you and your people may have."

The man, Commander Wynn, flashed her a grin of approval, his teeth white against the darkness of his skin. "My daughter Ishta will show your people where they can rest for the night. If you are amenable, I would like for us to speak now."

DG glanced at the Cain men over her shoulder, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed. "If you'll agree, I'd like Mr Cain to stay with us while we speak. He and his son were in charge of capturing the rogue Longcoats who escaped at the Double Eclipse so would be best placed to answer any questions you have regarding the Crown's efforts to track them down."

It was a smooth extension of the truth, a quiet compromise DG offered both Cain and Jeb as neither were willing to leave her alone and unguarded no matter how genuine their hosts may seem. It appeased both Commander Wynn and Cain, who nodded his agreement at his son.

"Perhaps your Viewer could also remain," Commander Wynn suggested amicably. "He can assure you of the truth of our words, as much as Gem can assure us of the truth of yours."

DG glanced at Raw to see him nod. "Master Raw was a witness to the events at the Tower. I'm sure he will be able to put to rest any uncertainties you have."

"Then it's agreed. Ishta?"

"Father." Ishta bowed her head towards the Commander before turning to Jeb, an eyebrow arched.

"Lead the way," Jeb murmured to Ishta, who inclined her head and headed towards some smaller huts towards the edges of the settlement.

Once they were alone, the group entered the larger building, which DG noticed was very similar to the conference room in the palace at Central City where her mother's meetings with her Council took place.

Commander Wynn took his place at the head of the table and DG took hers opposite, with Raw sitting beside her while Cain remained standing and took up his position behind her chair.

"Your guard is very protective," Commander Wynn commented. "Does he not wish to sit and rest?"

"He can speak for himself, Commander," DG rebuked softly. "And Wyatt is more than my guard." She sensed Cain's jolt of surprise behind her and saw a small smile play on Raw's face before it was hidden behind an impassive expression. Gem, the female Viewer, ducked her head to seemingly hide her amusement. "What would you like to discuss first, Commander?"

He smiled at her, a twinkle in his eye. "We could start with the battle of the Eclipse and work back from there. My sources tell me it was foolhardy but brave of those involved."

"I'd say your sources were right," DG said with a shrug. "The Resistance fighters were indeed brave, while I won't deny I was perhaps a little foolhardy myself. The Witch planned to send the OZ into eternal darkness so she could bring those who continued to resist her to their knees. Due to the efforts of my companions, of which Wyatt and Raw are two of them, Lord Ambrose, who has gone with your daughter, was the third, combined with that of the Resistance fighters, led by Captain Jeb Cain, they were able to get me to my sister's side. Together, we were able to free her of her possession and defeat the Witch within."

"Possession, you say?" Commander Wynn looked at Gem, who paused for a moment before nodding. "Your sister was possessed by the Witch; she was not evil herself?"

"Azkadellia is as far from evil as any living thing can be," DG told him with quiet conviction. "It is remarkable that she has survived with her spirit and her strength intact."

The Commander nodded and was quiet for a moment, his gaze intense on her. "May I enquire how it is you came to be here, Princess DG? Your death was widely known throughout the realm, and widely mourned. A tragic accident, I believe, at the Ice Palace?"

"The Witch murdered me and used my sister to do so. It was as much to break my sister as it was to remove me from the equation," DG answered matter-of-factly. "My mother sacrificed her light to bring me back but was not in a position to defend me from further attempts on my life. She made the decision to send me to the Other Side so that when the time was right, I could return and help my sister defeat the Witch."

Again, it was a version of the truth. Her mother had sent her away in desperation and with the hope that she might one day return, but the Queen hadn't truly believed there was a chance both of her daughters would survive. The prophecy had been taken too literally, Azkadellia was right about that, but in DG's mind, only in the part where it said 'only one and one alone'. Many, their parents included, had believed that line meant only one of their daughters would survive the events of the Eclipse.

The conversation continued, with Cain filling in the blanks DG couldn't provide on how the Resistance fighters had survived so long despite the best efforts of the Sorceress and her Longcoats to catch and kill them all. As the story inevitably wound back to the beginning, DG sat up straighter in her chair and sensed Cain move a little closer before she felt his hand on her shoulder in support.

"How did your sister come to be possessed by the Witch?" Commander Wynn asked, just as his daughter returned with Jeb and Glitch in tow. He paid the new arrivals no heed, his attention fixed firmly on the princess sat opposite him.

"I accidentally released the Witch," DG answered honestly, tilting her chin a little higher even as her hands clenched into fists on her lap beneath the table. "Azkadellia and myself were exploring the forests near our home in the South. I heard what I believed was a child's cry and went to see if I could help. Az wanted to go back and find our parents but I insisted so she came with me. I broke the seal keeping the Witch contained in the cave, and when she tried to scare us, I let go of Azkadellia's hand and ran. It left her vulnerable and the Witch was able to take possession of her."

For a long moment, the Commander said nothing. DG saw Jeb and Glitch move to stand near her in silent support out of the corner of her eye while Ishta move to stand between her father and Gem.

When the silence was broken, it was by the female Viewer.

"Princess feel much guilt. Much remorse. Blames self." Gem's eyes were dark and warm, bright with empathy. "Remembers fear, so much fear. Could not have known."

"DG child," Raw agreed, his eyes locking with Gem's across the table. "Azkadellia child, too. Both too young to fight strong evil."

Commander Wynn nodded slowly, his gaze growing sharp. "Where were your parents?"

The question took DG by surprise and she stared at him for a moment. "I'm sorry?"

"Where were your parents?" The Commander repeated gently. "Or guardians? Surely two children were not allowed to wander the forest unaccompanied?"

"I... We..." DG faltered, searching her memory. She remembered her mother being on the swing in the gazebo, taking a rare day off from her royal duties. Her father hadn't been so lucky; he'd been unable to join them in Finaqua, his presence required in Central City to fulfil his Consort duties. The plan had been for him to join them after a few days but DG couldn't remember if he had. She couldn't remember anything about the days between Azkadellia's possession and her eventual death at the Witch's hands in the Northern Palace.

"Finaqua was considered a safe place," Glitch supplied, seeing her flounder. "The Princesses were often permitted to explore its grounds. There was usually a guard assigned to shadow them, or a Lady's maid."

That was something she hadn't heard before, something she hadn't thought about, and it took all of her effort not to look at Glitch in surprise.

"Then where was the guard that day?" Commander Wynn queried, an eyebrow arching as he turned his attention to her mother's advisor. "Or the lady's maid responsible for protecting her charges?"

"The Queen asked that very same question when the truth was revealed," Glitch replied. "The guard assigned to them that day was dismissed for failing in his duties. It would appear he was distracted at the time, by a dalliance with a maid assigned to the palace kitchen."

"You look surprised, Princess," Commander Wynn commented after taking a moment to consider Glitch's words. "Did you not consider that perhaps there was someone else to share the blame? A responsible adult, other than your parents?"

"I didn't..." DG lowered her head for a moment before lifting it to look at him. "I still don't have a lot of memories of my childhood, of my life before the Witch killed me. It's a side effect of the spell my mother cast to protect my memories. I've never thought about it like that before."

"Perhaps it is because I am the father of two daughters that I think as your parents surely would have done," Commander Wynn told her softly, casting an indulgent glance at his youngest daughter. "No parent would allow their children to wander so far without either being there themselves or sending someone they trust to ensure their safety."

"You certainly never did when I was younger," Ishta agreed affectionately. "Shreya and I could never get far without you knowing."

"I still now keep track of my daughters. Only a parent to daughters can truly understand how much trouble they can find themselves in if left to their own devices."

From what she did remember about her childhood with Azkadellia, and mostly through what she'd been told by other people, DG suspected it was true. 'Your adventures have a way of getting me into trouble.' Weren't those the words Azkadellia had uttered to her on that fateful day? Words that clearly suggested she was forever leading her big sister astray and that her big sister, ever the protector, had always followed to keep her safe.

And now their roles were reversed, with DG acting as Azkadellia's self-appointed protector, out of love, guilt and necessity.

"Princess loyal to sister," Gem said softly. "Loves deeply. Very much like Ishta and Shreya. Very strong bond."

Commander Wynn gave another small nod before getting to his feet. "The Western Guild thanks the House of Gale for visiting us. We are honoured to have you here as our guests."

"And we're honoured to be here." DG got to her feet, too, and was immediately flanked by both Cain and Jeb. "Part of the reason for my travelling the realm is to offer assistance to those who need it. I appreciate the Western Guild was able to defend itself from the Witch but please know if there is anything we can assist you with, myself and my family would be pleased to do so."

The Commander glanced at his daughter before responding to her. "Unless either yourself or your companions are particularly gifted at tending the land, there is little the Western Guild requires at this time. But we thank you, Princess DG, for considering us."

"If there's a problem, perhaps we can take a look. If we can't help you, I would be able to make arrangements for someone to visit who can."

Ishta glanced at her father and shrugged. "It can't hurt, father. Should I show the Princess to the walled garden?"

The Commander gazed at DG for a long moment before he, too, shrugged. "As you say, it cannot hurt. Perhaps if the Princess or her party cannot give us advice, we will accept the offer of another coming to help."

*\\*


	15. Chapter 15

*\\*

The walled gardens must once have been beautiful. It was situated behind the village, and DG felt a sliver of magic wash over her skin as she entered it.

Some of the flowers were in blossom but many others were withered or struggling to grow. The fruit growing on the trees that lined the garden were small and some looked rotten. DG assumed the same would be true of the vegetables that grew in the earth, too.

"We know not where the problem lies or what it even is," Ishta informed them as they walked towards the centre of the garden. A woman in simple white robe rose to greet them as they approached. "Shreya, my sister, this is Her Royal Highness, the Princess DG of the House of Gale. Princess, may I present to you my sister, Priestess Shreya of the Western Guild."

"The wind spoke your name," Shreya told DG, her dark hair falling in a long, loose braid over her shoulder. Her dark eyes were distant, her smile soft. "I dared not believe it was so."

"My sister is gifted," Ishta murmured to DG, reverence in her tone. "She will be an extraordinary leader to our people after our father."

"I'm sure," DG said quietly. "It's a privilege to meet you, Shreya."

"The privilege is mine, Princess," Shreya responded with a curtesy. "You are kind of heart and pure of light. The wind speaks it so it must be such."

Not knowing how to respond to that, DG chose not to. Instead, she concentrated on the flowerbed the priestess had been tending. "What seems to be the problem here?"

Shreya's face fell, her eyes downcast. "I know not. The land of the OZ cries out for healing. The Witch's taint permeates and spreads even now. Her filth is here, corrupting the natural order of things."

"Like it did in the fields of the Papay," DG spoke mostly to herself. "May I?" She asked, motioning to the dying vines.

"Of course." Shreya stepped back to stand beside her sister. "I would be grateful of any assistance. Our people are reliant on the gardens and the produce it blesses us with. Without it, we will need to leave the safety of our home."

"Not if I can help it," DG muttered. She moved forward until she was standing on the soil instead of the carefully maintained path and knelt down. Putting her hand against the earth, she closed her eyes and reached out with her light. She could feel the taint Shreya spoke of, feel its darkness brush against her light and try to reach past it to the dark power she also possessed but tried not to think of.

As the darkness in the earth tried to tempt her own darkness out to play, she reached out with her light, surrounding it, overwhelming it.

Darkness, she knew, was repulsed by light; they were opposites and couldn't exist without one another but couldn't occupy the same space, either.

Pushing more of her light outwards, she visualised the roots of every living thing struggling to grow in the garden and chased away the darkness lingering at their tips.

Only when she was sure no trace of it remained did she draw her light back to her and open her eyes, grateful she'd knelt down as she swayed as a result of the drain.

Looking around her, she smiled in satisfaction.

Every flower blossomed, every piece of fruit grew ripe and succulent. Even without checking, she knew the same would be true for those items that grew beneath the soil.

"Oh, my," Ishta spoke, breaking the stunned silence. "That... I have no words."

"There are no words that could be enough to thank you, Princess," Commander Wynn added, his tone awe-struck.

"The voices in the wind were true," Shreya said dreamily. "We are truly blessed you have returned."

DG ducked her head to hide a blush at the praise, still kneeling as she didn't trust her legs enough to support her weight. "Oh, I wouldn't go that far."

Either hearing the strain in her voice or realising she was still in the dirt, Cain crouched down beside her. "You okay, Princess?"

"I'm fine," she replied just as quietly. "A little drained. I don't know if I can stand on my own."

He immediately wrapped one arm around her waist and tugged one of her arms over his shoulders, pulling her up to her feet. When her legs started to crumple, he tightened his hold.

"Princess DG?" Commander Wynn sounded alarmed.

"I'm fine," DG repeated, dismissing his concern with a tired smile. "I used a lot of magic to repair the damage to the land. I just need to rest for a little while and I'll be fine."

"I'll show you to your room," Ishta told her, her expression worried. "If you're too tired to join us for our last meal, we can arrange for food to be brought to you."

"I'm sure I'll be fine, but thank you for your concern." Leaning heavily on Cain, DG felt herself go hot and then cold and knew she didn't have long left before she passed out. Not wanting to alarm anyone, she willed Cain silently to get them moving. "Shall we?"

Taking the hint, Cain nodded. "Of course."

DG was only vaguely aware of the journey back through the village, fighting the darkness at the edges of her vision. She managed to make it to the hut Ishta indicated was hers and smile in thanks at the Western Guild warrior. The second Ishta left, she felt herself losing the battle. She opened her mouth to try and tell Cain she'd be okay after noting the look of alarm on his face but was swept away by exhaustion before she could.

*\\*

Thank Ozma for Glitch was all Cain could say.

When DG fainted, he felt everything stop. He carried her deadweight to the bed, setting her down on it before shaking her gently, trying to wake her up.

"She'll be fine, Cain," Glitch told him, his voice matter-of-fact which seemed smugly irritating at the time but when he looked back on it later, Cain would appreciate the confidence in it. "A couple hours sleep and she'll be right as rain. That's a funny saying, isn't it? How right is rain? It's one of DG's Other Sider sayings, They're a strange bunch, those Other Siders."

"Glitch. Focus." Jeb moved to stand in front of the advisor, casting a worried glance at his father and the unconscious princess. "How do you know she'll be okay? What happened?"

"She's drained herself of her magic," Glitch answered slowly, the haughty tone of Ambrose creeping in. It was as if he were talking to children, the answer obvious. "She'll be hungry when she wakes up. I hope she doesn't sleep through supper."

"She's done this before?" Cain asked, an edge to his voice.

Glitch stared at him for a moment, not understanding the question. "Yes?"

"DG drains self when healing," Raw supplied helpfully. "Slept for two days after healing fields of the Papay."

"When did she –" Cain cut himself off abruptly and clenched his jaw. He had to remind himself that the near annual he and DG had spent apart had been a mutual decision and meant that, despite exchanging letters, there were going to be things about her during that time that he didn't know but those who'd been able to stay with her would.

"Not Tin Man's fault," Raw rumbled soothingly. "Not happen often. DG careful after first time."

Cain glanced at him, appreciating the words but still uncomfortable with the feeling he'd missed out on some important moments for her. "Is she still shielding from you or has that gone because of the drain?"

Raw tilted his head, his expression thoughtful. He moved to sit on the other side of the bed and took DG's hand in his before closing his eyes. "Shield still there but not as strong," he reported. "DG tired. Worried for sister, worried for future. Determined. Will do what needs to but heart wars with head."

"She needs to be careful," Jeb said, his gaze on the sleeping Princess when his father glanced at him. "She can only do so much, father. If she keeps pushing herself too hard, she'll end up breaking. I saw it with soldiers under my command," he continued quietly. "Good men determined to do right by their loved ones, driven almost mad with the need to save them."

"We won't let that happen to DG," Cain vowed.

"'Course not," Glitch agreed cheerfully. "She's got us to keep her from pushing herself too hard."

Raw gave a small nod to show his agreement, his eyes still fixed on her. He lifted his head when he felt Cain watching him and tried to smile reassuringly but it didn't stay for long.

"What's up, furball? Is she okay?" Cain tightened his hold on DG's hand as if the act alone would keep her with him.

"DG okay," Raw confirmed. The Viewer hesitated, not sure how much he could or should say without betraying DG's trust. "DG worried about Prince," he said eventually. "Will marry to save Azkadellia but fears having to leave OZ."

"What do you mean to save Azkadellia?"

"Why would she fear leaving the OZ?"

The two Cain's stared at Raw, both radiating confusion and in the elder Cain, increasing anxiety.

"The terms of the marriage contract didn't specify which of the Queen's daughter's the Prince might take as a bride," Glitch answered for Raw, seeing the alarm on the Viewer's face. He kept his voice as calm as he could, not trusting the way Cain's fingers flexed towards his gun. "DG volunteered to spare Azkadellia. I think she was hoping he'd turn her down and agree not to press for the contract to be honoured, what with her reputation as being the Slipper Princess and all."

"It doesn't surprise me she'd do that," Cain said. And it didn't. He wasn't at all surprised even though he hated it. "What about the leaving part?"

"The Prince will one day be King of IX. He can't be expected to stay in the OZ," Glitch answered. "If he does choose to take DG as his bride, and if he wants to marry either of them, he'll have to, because if Azkadellia's going to be Queen, she'll be required to stay here, then DG will be expected to return to IX with him."

Cain stared at Glitch, then turned his attention back to DG. He stared at her hard, willing her to wake up so she could take part in the conversation.

His heart was pounding and he felt suddenly cold. He'd promised her he wouldn't leave her side again and he'd meant it; she accepted it and hadn't mentioned that she might need to leave the country.

And if she did... Surely she must've known there was a heck of a chance that the Prince wouldn't permit him to go with her?

She hadn't said anything about it, hadn't raised the possibility of her having to leave the OZ, of having to leave him.

"DG not want to think about possibility," Raw told him quietly. "Scared. Not want to leave OZ. Not want to leave Tin Man."

"Is there a way we can get her out of the marriage if the Prince decides to enforce it?" Cain found himself asking, looking back to Glitch. Out of all of them, the Queen's Advisor was the most likely to know something that might be of help.

From the way Glitch hesitated, Cain knew he wasn't wrong in guessing he'd already been thinking about it. "I spoke to Azkadellia about it, before we left," Glitch started slowly, lowering himself into a chair in the corner of the room. He looked weary, guarded. "If Az abdicates her claim on the throne, DG would be unable to marry the Prince as she'd have to take the throne."

"DG not want to be Queen," Raw spoke up. "But would if Azkadellia asked her."

Cain thought it through, and shook his head. "That would mean Azkadellia would have to honour the marriage contract. DG won't do that to her sister."

"DG think Azkadellia too fragile," Raw agreed. "Would be right. Azkadellia healing but slowly. Need family around her, not heal in foreign lands."

"Is there no other way?" Jeb asked. "What if Azkadellia becomes Queen and DG marries another?" He cast a sidelong glance at his father. "The contract couldn't be enforced if neither Princess were free to marry."

"It would bring dishonour on the House of Gale and dissent amongst the Queen's Council, not to mention cause a scandal at Court." Glitch sounded disappointed. "That was another idea that was discussed; I can't remember if it was Az or the Consort who suggested it. The Queen's control isn't strong enough to withstand a coup should the Council rise up against her, and Azkadellia is nowhere near strong enough to seize control and keep them in line."

"The Consort was there for this discussion?" Cain arched an eyebrow.

"Consort, Queen, Azkadellia, Glitch and Raw," Raw confirmed. "DG not. Too focused on bringing realm together for sister's reign, not need distraction."

"So all we can do is wait and how the Prince responds?" Cain sighed and returned his attention to DG, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.

"There's a chance he won't enforce the contract," Glitch said quietly. "DG believes it was the Queen's Council who initiated contact but we can't prove it."

"Why would they do that?" Jeb frowned. "Not only is she a princess, she's the one who defeated the Witch."

"Some of them aren't as thankful for that as we are," Glitch informed him, his Ambrose tone in play. "There were some who prospered under the Witch's reign, others who are simply offended by DG's unwillingness to sit back and let the rich get richer while the people struggle and starve. They disapprove of her because they can't control her and they're afraid she'll influence the Queen, both her mother and her sister when Azkadellia takes the throne."

"And the Queen's aware of this?" Jeb was stunned. "Why doesn't she do something? It's treason!"

"The crown is still too unstable to take the risk of alienating the allies it has," Glitch reminded him. "Give it another annual or two, and the Royal Family will be established once more and the Queen will be free to act."

"That's the other reason DG's doing this tour," Jeb mused. "To get the loyalty of the people so they'll support her Mother and sister if the Council turn against them."

"She's very good at Court politics," Glitch said admiringly. "She'll make a good advisor to Azkadellia when she's Queen."

"Assuming she's still in the OZ to advise," Cain muttered.

"We'll do whatever we can to keep her here, Cain," Glitch promised, his dark eyes intense. "We've just got her back; we're not going to let her go without a fight."

Cain nodded, and surprisingly felt a little better. Glitch, whether he was fully Ambrose or not, as a man of his word.

It helped to know he was on their side.

*/*


	16. Chapter 16

*/*

When DG woke up, she was fully expecting a stern lecture from her Tin Man. What she wasn't expecting was to find the hut empty other than the two of them, with Cain lying behind her on the bed. His arms were wrapped around her, keeping her anchored against him and his breathing was deep and even.

It was a nice feeling, waking up in his arms on a proper bed. DG closed her eyes again and let her body relax completely against his.

She wasn't sure how long they lay like that before she heard his breathing change and felt him start against her. His arm tightened for a moment then relaxed again.

"You back with us, Princess?" His voice was a gruff rumble in her ear and made butterflies take flight in her stomach as a shiver tried to run down her spine.

Oh, yes. She could definitely get used to it.

"Just about," she answered quietly. Her stomach grumbled and she heard as much as felt him chuckle against her. "I'm hungry."

"I heard." He tilted his head, pressing a kiss against the back of her neck before murmuring into her ear, his warm breath against her sensitive skin making her shiver again. "You're just in time to make the evening meal. I hear they're plannin' a feast in your honour."

"Oh, they didn't have to do that." But her stomach rumbled again in appreciation just at the thought of it. "How long before we can eat?"

"Soon as you're ready to go and greet your adoring public." He kissed her neck again, making her squirm.

"That tickles," she protested.

Cain smirked, his lips curving against her skin. "Are you complaining?"

"Not exactly." Deciding payback was fair, she pressed back against him and wiggled, grinning triumphantly at his muffled groan. "But don't go starting something you've got no intention of finishing, Mister."

He nipped her earlobe, then soothed the sting with a kiss. "We'll finish this when I've got a ring on your finger. Till then, I'll take what I can get and give what you can take."

Surprised at the promise in his voice, she turned to face him, propping herself up on an elbow. "You're in a strange mood."

"How so?" He leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose.

DG narrowed her eyes. "You're being playful. Who are you and what have you done with the real Wyatt Cain?"

"I'm right here, Sweetheart." He leaned in to kiss her again, this time aiming for her lips. He kept it sweet and soft, drawing away just as she started to lean into him.

"Tease." DG studied him. "What's changed?"

"Nothing's changed. I've just decided I'm going to marry you, is all." He smirked at the confusion on her face. "One way or another, Princess, you're going to be mine."

She shivered again, this time at the intent in his cool blue eyes. "I'm already yours. Haven't we discussed this already?"

"You're not mine in name, but you will be." Determination gave his voice a steely edge. "You're not marrying any Prince and you're not going to IX."

Hope that he what he said would come to pass kept her from pointing out that there was no guarantee of it happening. She kissed him instead, lingering in the embrace for a moment longer before breaking off and rolling away so she could get off the bed.

"Where do you think you're going?" Cain grumbled behind her.

She threw him a smile over her shoulder. "For food, obviously."

He rolled his eyes at her but followed her lead, getting to his feet and reaching for the gun he'd set on top of his duster on the floor by the bed. Putting it back in its holster, he joined her near the door and took her hand as he led her out where their friends and her adoring public waited.

*\\*

To say the Western Guild had laid out a feast for her was no exaggeration. Buoyed by the sudden abundance of fresh food at their disposal, they presented a feast that was, well, fitting of royalty and insisted that DG and her travelling companions ate their fill.

Unlike Fordham, where the locals had treated her like one of them, the people of the Western Guild were more reverent in their approach, which made her more than a little uncomfortable though she tried not to let it show for fear of offending them.

Ishta and Shreya spent most of the first half of the evening with her, and she was just as happy to listen to the sister's conversation with one another as she was to take part in it. When they excused themselves to make the rounds with their people, DG allowed herself a small sigh.

"DG miss Az." Raw sat down beside her, mere seconds after Cain got up to speak to Jeb. If she was the suspicious type, she would've said they'd planned it so not to leave her on her own at all.

"I do." DG didn't try to deny it. "I just wish I knew if she was okay, Raw. She said she was fine with me leaving but I don't like to think of her being there alone."

"Azkadellia not alone," Raw assured her. "Has parents, Tutor."

"And that's good, but they don't know her like I do. They won't be able to tell when she's lying, when she's putting on an act so they don't worry about her." DG sighed and wrapped her arms around her middle. "Maybe you or Glitch should've stayed with her. At least then I'd know someone had her back."

"Parents will look after Azkadellia." Raw patted DG's hand. "DG sent letter. Azkadellia respond soon."

"I hope so, Raw," DG sighed, taking comfort in his presence and quiet confidence.

Her theory that her friends had planned for her to never be left unattended was given weight when Glitch immediately took Raw's vacated seat when the Viewer excused himself to continue the conversation he'd been having with Gem but had put on hold when he'd noticed Cain get up.

"Are you on some sort of rota?" DG teased, leaning in to Glitch when he slung his arm companionably across her shoulders. "Who's turn is it if Cain's not back when you're needed elsewhere?"

"Cain now, isn't it?" Glitch gave her a wicked grin. "I heard it was Wyatt earlier today, Doll."

She shrugged, ignoring the burn in her cheeks. "It's his name, isn't it?"

"Mmm hmm." Glitch smirked but said nothing more for a few moments.

They sat and people watched for a while, enjoying the company without needing the conversation. Raw and Gem were deep in conversation; Ishta had joined Cain, Jeb and Rafe; the rest of their group were dotted around the village, each in their assigned vantage point to make sure no one tried to hurt her when they weren't expecting it.

"Try not to worry, DG," Glitch said, squeezing her shoulders and tugging her closer. She let her head rest on his shoulder and sighed. "We'll work something out."

"We always do," she returned, lifting her head from his shoulder to smile at him. "So, Lord Ambrose, how do you think we're doing so far on this tour of ours? Do you think it's going to help Az when she takes the throne?"

"It's got to help," Glitch answered diplomatically. "The more people who understand what really happened, the better the chances Azkadellia will be accepted. You're doing great, DG. You're doing a good thing for your sister and the realm."

DG smiled at the praise, letting it settle some of her nerves. If her friends thought she was doing the right thing, doing a good thing, then it was enough for her to continue.

As Cain re-joined them, she expected Glitch to make his excuses and leave. When he didn't, Cain moved to sit on her other side and tugged her closer, throwing Glitch a glare over her head. "Get your own girl, Headcase."

Stifling a laugh that turned into a yawn with the back of her hand, DG shook her head. "Play nice, boys."

"He can't help it, Deege," Glitch mock-whispered. "He's a grumpy old Tin Man, you know."

"Less of the old," Cain grumbled. "I'm not much older than you."

"But you admit you're grumpy," Glitch retorted with a triumphant grin. When Cain merely quirked an eyebrow in reply, Glitch's grin grew. "So what's going on over there?"

DG followed his line of sight and saw Jeb in deep conversation with Ishta. Or in an argument, she couldn't be sure. There was a lot of gesturing and exasperated expressions, with each of them getting up in each other's personal space before backing off every so often.

"That looks interesting," DG agreed, tilting her head up to Cain. "Jeb's made a new friend."

Cain snorted. "Something like that. Ishta wants to come with us when we leave tomorrow. It's why he called me over, to see what I thought and to ask what you thought."

"That's definitely interesting," DG murmured. "Did she say why she wants to come?" She glanced back at the bickering pair and smiled again. "Jeb doesn't seem keen on the idea."

"I don't think he's over her getting the upper hand on us in the forest," Cain admitted. "There's a kind of my sword's bigger than yours battle going on."

Glitch made a noise at the back of his throat that could've been a laugh. "Looks like he's met his match. Not like that," he added when Cain glanced at him sharply. When the Tin Man looked away again, Glitch leaned into DG and dropped his voice. "Exactly like that."

DG returned her attention to the couple in question, watching as neither backed down from the debate. "I like her," she said after a moment. "But I don't understand why she wants to leave the Western Guild. It's safe here, her sister and father are here." She'd heard no mention of her mother, DG realised belatedly, and wondered why that was. "Did she give a reason?"

"She said she feels the Western Guild didn't do their part when the Witch was in power and she feels she can work towards making amends for that by joining the Royal Guard." Cain turned his gaze back to DG, the corners of his mouth twitching. "Specifically by joining your security detail. I think you have a fan, Princess."

DG rolled her eyes at the amusement on his face but didn't answer straight away. The last thing she needed was another guard, really, not when she already felt uncomfortable with the entourage she already had. But her tour was about building links with the people of the OZ, making alliances with those who could support her family's continued rule. The Western Guild were a much respected tribe despite their absence during the Sorceress's reign; to have their acceptance and their loyalty on display could only be seen as a good thing.

"I'm happy with her joining us, if it's truly what she wants," DG said after a long moment. "It would be good to have a representative of the Western Guild at Court."

Cain sighed. "That's if we make it back to Central City without them killin' each other."

DG followed his gaze again and saw both Jeb and Ishta had their hands on their respective weapons. Neither had drawn them but from the looks on their faces, it wasn't long before someone. "Why don't you put them out of their misery and tell them it's a done deal and Ishta is welcome to join us for the rest of our tour. If after completing it she decides she wants to stay, she's welcome to do so."

Since she didn't specify who should tell them, Cain and Glitch stared at one another. Cain arched an eyebrow and Glitch heaved a sigh, muttering under his breath about rusty old Tin Men getting lazy in their old age.

"You just can't help making friends with people, can you, Princess?" Cain murmured, wrapping his arm around her lower back to pull her more firmly against him. No one paid them any notice, speculation might have been rife amongst the Western Guild as to the relationship between the Princess and her Tin Man but the community who valued their own privacy respected the right everyone else had to it.

"It surprises me, too," DG told him. Her grin didn't quite meet her eyes and she leaned into him with a sigh. "I was always a bit of an outsider on the Other Side. Felt like I didn't belong and now I know why."

"Because you didn't." He pressed his lips against the crown of her head. "But you belong here."

"Here in the OZ? Sometimes. Not all the time," she admitted.

"When do you feel like you belong?"

She smiled again, tilting her head so she could see him. "When I'm with you," she said honestly. "Mostly with Az, too, but sometimes one of us will say something that makes the other remember we had fifteen annuals apart and it's like we're strangers again. It's usually me," she continued with the roll of her eyes. "Sometimes I'll say something that's triggering for her and she looks at me like I'm something out of her worst nightmares."

"I'm sure she doesn't mean to look at you that way." Cain's gaze softened in sympathy. "She wouldn't want to upset you."

"Oh, I know." DG shrugged and let her head fall back to his shoulder. "She was always protective of me. Overly so. If she wasn't..." Her voice trailed off and she sighed again. Cain waited for her to speak, knowing that she would, sensing there was something on her mind she needed to get off her chest. "I'd never thought about it until the Commander asked, about whether there was anyone else with us when it happened. Whether there should've been. When Glitch said that... I think I remember there was usually someone with us but my focus was always on Az. She was my big sister, my idol. I don't remember everything about my childhood but I remember I loved and admired her above anyone else, including our mother. How weird is that? My Mom was the Queen of the country but it was my sister I wanted to be like, my sister I wanted to impress. And then I ended up hurting her more than anyone else –"

"No, DG." Cain's arm tightened, almost painfully so. His body tensed, his voice grew firm. "You didn't hurt your sister. It wasn't you."

"It was, Wyatt." DG kept her voice soft, her gaze fixed ahead of her so she didn't get lost in her memories. "I hurt her because I let her go. If I'd held on... Maybe help would've got to us in time. Maybe the alarm could have been raised and our Mother could have stopped the Witch with our combined light before she could possess Az..."

"That's a lot of ifs and maybes, Deege. You can't live your life by them. Trust me," he added in a low voice, "I know all about that."

DG lifted her head from his shoulder again, her gaze soft. "You know you keep telling me I'm not to blame for what happened to Az. Maybe I'd be more inclined to believe it if you stopped blaming yourself for what happened to Adora, and to Jeb." She shook her head when he started to protest. "You don't get it, Wyatt. I'm as much to blame for what happened to them as I am for what happened to Az. You can't blame yourself if you don't blame me."

He stared at her for a long moment before lifting a hand to touch her cheek. "I don't blame you, DG. I could never do that."

She leaned into his palm and smiled sadly. "Then you need to stop blaming yourself. I'm surely just as much to blame as you are. We make quite a pair, Wyatt Cain."

His gaze was intense as it locked with hers. She saw the conflict in his eyes, his belief that he was responsible for the death of his late wife warring with his belief that she couldn't be held accountable for her actions as a child. When his eyes softened, she gave him another sad smile. "Maybe that's what makes us so perfect for each other," he murmured, his voice hoarse. He closed the gap between them, his lips brushing against hers sweetly, chastely given they were still sitting in view of everyone. "You make me want to believe in myself again. I didn't think that was possible."

Warmth swelled in her at his words, equally the sudden need she felt to protect this man who'd been broken and bruised at all costs. "If only you had half as much belief in yourself as I do in you."

His eyes darkened and he leaned in to kiss her again. It was a slow kiss, full of promise. When they parted, they leaned into each other, foreheads resting, sharing a breath.

The words went unsaid but were very much felt in that moment.

'I love you.'

Only someone approaching them, clearing their voice broke the moment. Jeb tried not to look at them, running an awkward hand through his hair.

"Ishta would like you to know she's honoured that you've agreed for her to join us," he said stiffly. "She'll be ready to leave at first light, as will the rest of us, Your Highness."

DG was at first taken back by his formality. Cain looked annoyed by it, but relaxed when he saw DG smile. "Thank you, Captain. I appreciate you welcoming the newest member of our troupe."

Jeb grimaced, his façade falling. "Do we have to take her with us?" He sounded like a sullen child and it wouldn't have surprised her at all if he'd stomped his foot. Beside her, Cain tried to hide a chuckle behind a cough. "She's stubborn and pig-headed, and thinks she's right about everything."

"She's also a highly respected, highly skilled soldier and representative of the Western Guild," DG reminded him. "I'm sure you've had worse under your command, Jeb. You just have to put up with her until we get back to Central City. I'm sure a seasoned soldier and such a highly regarded Captain in the Queen's Guard won't have a problem with that."

Jeb grumbled something under his breath and stalked away. His cheeks were flushed but she couldn't be sure if it was from the praise she'd given him or the thought of having to deal with Ishta for a number of weeks.

"This is going to be fun," she grinned, glancing at Cain to see him smirking. "But Jeb's going to make me pay for that, isn't he?"

"I'm not getting involved, Deege." Her Tin Man continued to smirk at her, his blue eyes sparkling. "But you're right. It is gonna be fun."

*/*


	17. Chapter 17

*/*

The fun lasted until just after they left the Western Guild and started to head South, towards DG's arranged meeting with the nobles who represented the area.

They'd been riding for just over three hours, and DG had spent most of that time shushing the people around her so she could hear Jeb and Ishta's bickering banter, much to the mixed amusement and discomfort of Cain. He was amused to see his son so out of sorts but discomforted by the knowledge that his little boy was clearly no longer the child he'd once been.

It verged on flirting, but wasn't quite there yet. In time, it could be. Every other sentence was a threat to gut the other or draw a weapon on them and it amused DG to no end, which in turn amused the others around them. Raw could be caught chuckling from time to time; Glitch wore an 'I told you so' expression. The men under Jeb's command were baffled by their leader's apparent dislike of the warrior woman, torn between their admiration of her and their loyalty to him.

It didn't seem right, then, that in an instant, everything could change.

The messenger had been searching for them for hours, unable to breech the barrier into the territory of the Western Guild. He was a young boy of no more than sixteen annuals, and looked close to tears when the group stumbled on him riding in circles in the dense woodland between the Western Guild and the lakes of the South.

By the time she'd finished reading the message, hastily written by her father, DG was close to tears herself.

"We have to go back to Central City," she announced, folding the letter. She pushed it into her pocket and turned her horse to face the direction she assumed was the city. "Now. We have to go back now."

"But your schedule –" Glitch's protest fell short at the stricken look on her all too pale face and he turned his mount to face the same direction without another word.

"What is it, DG?" Cain reached out, either to take the reins of her horse or to take hold of her shaking hands with his, she wasn't entirely sure. "What's wrong?"

Her eyes were stormy and wide, her lips trembling. "It's Az," she managed to gasp, her heart constricting in her chest as her lungs struggled to take in air to breath. "There's been an assassination attempt. Someone tried to kill my sister."

It was all she needed to say.

The group was solemn, all thoughts of teasing held at bay as they began their torturously tedious journey back to Central City, to the Princess who held her sister's heart in her hands.

There was nothing in the letter about how she was, which set DG on edge. Her mind was whirling with all of the possible scenarios she might face when she returned to the palace; in the best case scenario, Az would be there waiting for her, pale and shaken but alive. In the worst, her parents would be waiting to take her in their arms and grieve with her.

Everyone was tense around her, with Jeb insisting he ride on one side and his father on the other, Ishta behind and Rafe in front. Her friends were behind her with guards of their own but she knew she had their whole attention. After all, there'd been an assassination attempt against one Princess; there was nothing to say there wouldn't be an attempt on the life of the other.

When they reached the outskirts of the city, Cain gave her a quiet order. "Glamour spell, Deege. It's best no one knows who you are."

She nodded and concentrated, casting the spell not only on herself but on her closest friends and companions. Hearing the murmurs from them as her magic brushed their skin, she shrugged. "If people see you, they're going to work out I'm the one with you."

Cain, having been one affected by the spell, considered it and gave a nod of approval. Jeb was no doubt surprised to be included in the spell but as one of the heroes of the Eclipse, and the son of another, DG was taking no chances with any of their safety.

"We should split up and ride in smaller groups," Jeb suggested. "A group this size heading to the palace is bound to attract attention. Rafe, Bran, you go with Raw. Elliot, Thompson, you're with Glitch. Bates, Myers, go ahead and tell the guards at the gates we're coming. Dad, you and Ishta are with me and DG."

No one disagreed with his plan. The group split up, taking different routes once they made it inside the city walls, leaving their horses at the Royal stable outside of it and making the last of the journey on foot.

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she made sure she stuck close to Cain's side. Not that she really had much of a choice in the matter, as he kept a firm grip on her hand, their fingers entwined as they made their way through the city streets.

News of the attempt on Azkadellia's life was obviously being kept quiet, as the streets were abuzz with their usual activities and no one seemed alarmed or on edge. People smiled and greeted each other warmly as they shopped and dined in the outdoor cafes, laughter and music could be heard on every corner.

It was a very different city to the one DG remember first returning to; a more vibrant and lively city, with its heart restored in the near annual since the Witch's fall.

Her parents had done a lot to restore the shining city to its former glory, insisting on investing heavily to encourage people to return to their homes and reinvigorate the industries that had become neglected.

It helped to see the city and its people thriving, to know that though the healing process was slow, it was in progress.

It helped to cling to that thought as she made her way closer to where Azkadellia waited.

'I'm coming, my sister,' she thought, trying to send the message to her sister through the bond they shared of both blood and magic. It wasn't something she'd tried before, wasn't something she knew would even work, but it made her feel better to try.

The guards at the gates to the palace ushered them through as soon as they arrived. As soon as she heard the gates begin to close behind her, DG took off, reluctantly breaking contact with Cain so she could race ahead into the palace. She didn't need to look over her shoulder to see he was following, albeit at a more sedate and no doubt acceptable pace.

Instinct led her to the suite belonging to her sister, across the hall from her own. The doors opened before she could get there, and it was only as an afterthought that she realised she'd done it herself with her magic.

It startled the guards outside the room as well as the guards waiting inside, all who reached for their guns. DG called out an apology as she skidded around them, making a beeline for her sister's room where her parents stood in an embrace at the window.

Azkadellia lay on her side on the bed, her back to them. She stirred at the commotion but as soon as she saw its source, she sat up fully.

Relief that her sister seemed okay warred with concern at the notable tear tracks on Azkadellia's face so DG wasted no time in joining her on the bed, wrapping her arms around her sister in a tight embrace.

"Oh, Deege." Azkadellia's voice broke on a sob. "You're really here."

"There's nowhere else I could be," DG murmured, rubbing her sister's back soothingly. "I won't leave you again, Az. I promise I won't."

As her sister broke down, weeping into her shoulder, DG looked past her to the doorway, where Cain stood. She glanced at her parents silently and within mere minutes, he was guiding them from the room, letting the reunited sisters have a moment alone.

*\\*

The story came out slowly, punctuated by sobs that broke DG's heart. The would-be assassin had attacked Az while she'd been walking in the grounds of the City Central palace. Her guards had come as soon as they'd heard her scream but the man had managed to get away. He'd had a knife, DG learned, a blade Azkadellia was convinced smoked as it lashed out at her, slicing her skin but not deep enough to wound as seriously as it had been intended.

The cut still hadn't healed.

Even as she explained the events to DG, blood began to seep through the white bandage on her sister's collarbone.

"The healers can't make it stop," Az explained, pressing her hand over the wound as her face went pale. "They don't know why."

"Raw can have a look," DG assured her, taking Azkadellia's hand in hers once again. She wasn't sure which of them was most comforted by the familiar spark of light between their palms. "We'll figure out what it was, Az. Don't worry. You're going to be okay."

"I feel like I might be, now that you're here." Az smiled at her, her eyes shining with her belief in her little sister.

There was a bit of hero worship there that crept in sometimes and made DG uncomfortable; her sister saw her as the saviour little sister who'd come back from the dead to save her from the Witch. It was true, in a way, but DG in no way felt deserving of the admiration she sometimes caught a glimpse of in her sister's eyes. Yes, Azkadellia had always been indulgent of her little sister; she'd adored DG from the moment she'd been born and doted on her little sister.

But DG didn't feel her sister had much to thank her for. Guilt threatened to consume her sometimes, guilt that her much loved big sister who she'd loved more than anyone and wanted to be like when she grew up had suffered so much because of something she'd done.

How Azkadellia could forgive her for that was something DG thought she'd never comprehend. She liked to think that if their situations were reversed, she would be as gracious as Azkadellia and find it in herself not to blame her sister. When she tried to explain herself to Az, her sister had merely smiled sadly and told her if their situations were reversed, the OZ would be doomed because there was DG was the strongest sibling and there was no way Azkadellia could have saved her.

DG, privately and not so privately, disagreed.

Once Azkadellia had settled enough to let go of her for a little while, DG left the room in search of her friends, specifically in search of Raw.

She didn't have to go very far, a tired smile gracing her lips when she noticed not only was Cain waiting with her parents in the living area attached to Azkadellia's rooms, but Raw, Glitch, Ishta, Jeb and Rafe were with them.

"Raw, Az was cut by a blade she said was enchanted. The cut won't heal," she explained quietly. "Would you mind taking a look at it to see if there's something you can do to help?"

"Of course." Raw stood from where he'd been sitting on the sofa. "For DG and sister, Raw do anything."

She smiled again, affection swelling inside her for the Viewer who'd become family. "Thank you." As Raw left to tend to Az, she turned her attention to the others in the room, notably her parents. "Mom, Dad. What do you know about the person who did this?"

"We don't know much, my angel." Her mother crossed the room towards her, leaving the shelter of Ahamo's arms to embrace her youngest daughter. "There was no trace of him when the guards got to your sister. We believe magic was used to help him evade capture."

"Dark magic," DG guessed, leaning into her mother when she felt her shudder. "Don't worry," she found herself repeating. "We'll figure it out."

"Of course we will, Spitfire." Ahamo's smile was strained as he joined his wife and child, taking them both into his arms for a moment. It was a moment he clearly needed so DG allowed it. "We're sorry your tour was disrupted. I know how much you were looking forward to it."

"I'll resume it when I can," DG murmured dismissively, promising herself it was true, or that she'd make every effort to meet everyone she'd been unable to one way or another. "We'll need to let those expecting us know that I won't be visiting for the foreseeable future. I promised Az I wouldn't leave and I meant it."

"I'll take care of it, DG," Glitch volunteered, moving from where he'd been standing – no, pacing – in front of the unlit fireplace. "I'll explain there was an emergency and you had to return home."

"Thank you, Glitch." DG favoured him with another tired, albeit genuine smile as she pulled away from her parents. "I think we should relocate to Finaqua," she suggested, forging ahead before either her mother or father could protest. "I know you wanted to stay in the City so we'd be more visible, and available to Court and Council, but we're not safe here. This has proven it."

"Finaqua is more easily defendable, Your Majesties," Jeb chimed in, much to DG's relief. "The enchanted maze itself would make it difficult for an assailent to get to yourselves or the Princesses."

"Then it's decided," the Queen agreed slowly, her gaze fixed on her youngest daughter. "If that's what you think best, my darling."

"It is. Jeb, could you make the arrangements?" DG asked with a small smile at the man in question. When he gave her a small smile in return before nodding and leaving the room, she finally felt something in the pit of her stomach settle. "Rafe, I know you're assigned to my protection detail but it would mean a lot if you could head up Azkadellia's security, at least until we're settled in Finaqua."

"Of course, Your Highness." Rafe gave a low bow, catching her eye as he straightened and giving her a quick grin. "I assure you, Princess Azkadellia's safety will be my first priority."

"Thank you." DG nodded to him, and he left the room, no doubt to take up a position outside it. Turning to one of the remaining occupants of the room, she gave Ishta an apologetic look. "Mother, Father, I don't know if you've already been introduced to Ishta, daughter of Commander Wynn of the Western Guild. Ishta is an accomplished warrior and volunteered to join us as part of my guard." As her parents murmured surprised welcomes to the young woman, DG noted Ishta stood up straighter. "Ishta, I know it's not what you expected, but I would truly appreciate it if you would work with Jeb and form part of our protection detail. I'd like you to join us in Finaqua, so we can further discuss how the House of Gale and Western Guild can work together to the mutual benefit of our people."

"It would be an honour, Princess," Ishta said as she, too, bowed. "Should I join Captain Cain and assist in making arrangements?"

"If you don't mind. Ask Rafe to have someone show you where he can be found," DG agreed, and watched as the Western Guild warrior bowed again before taking her leave.

Left with only her parents, Cain and Glitch, DG let her shoulders slump and lifted a hand to her forehead, trying to rub the dull ache she could feel brewing there away. "We need to find out who was behind the attempt on Az, what they want and where they got their magic from. She said she wasn't sure if it was just the blade that was magic or if the person wielding it was, too."

"We've got our best people working on it, DG," her father assured her. His jaw clenched at the thought of his family being under attack. "We'll find out who's behind it, one way or another."

DG nodded. "You'll need to go and pack, and let the Council know we plan to move."

Seeing it for the dismissal it was, though a polite one, her parents reluctantly left.

And then there were three.

Once the Queen and Consort were gone, Cain wasted no time in closing the gap between them. DG all but melted against him, needing the embrace as much as he did.

The attempt on her sister's life brought home to both of them that no matter how settled the realm may seem in the aftermath of the Witch's fall, there were still those who bore a grudge against the House of Gale and weren't afraid to show it.

"She's terrified," DG mumbled, her voice muffled against his chest. "She thinks she should have died, that she should have let him kill her."

"Did she say that?" Cain murmured, his lips pressed against the top of her head.

"Not in so many words but I know it's what she's thinking." And it broke her heart. "I don't know what to do, Wyatt."

"Nothin' you can do but what you already are," he told her, pulling back just enough to tip her face up with a crooked finger under her chin. "You took charge pretty well there."

She was confused for a moment, before she realised what she'd done and a blush stole across her features. "I wasn't too bossy, was I? I was just thinking out loud."

He smirked, amused at her line of thinking. "You're a Princess," he reminded her. "Being bossy's part of the job."

She looked offended for a moment, until the door to Azkadellia's bedroom opened and Raw appeared, holding the hand of her sister, who he led into the living area with him. "Raw?"

"Cut healed," Raw assured her, but his eyes were troubled. "Sensed magic. Neither dark nor light."

"Did it come from the blade or the person?" DG asked, taking a step back from Cain with a flush in her cheeks when she noticed her sister's curious gaze.

"Raw not know. Could be both," Raw admitted.

"Okay." DG exhaled a slow breath. "Arrangements are being made for us to go to Finaqua," she told Azkadellia. "Is that okay with you?"

Azkadellia nodded, reaching out a trembling hand to her sister, which DG didn't hesitate to take even though the move took her further away from Cain's side than either of them would have liked. "Do you think it's likely they'll try again?"

"Maybe." DG couldn't lie to her sister. "Can you remember anything else, Az? Anything he said or did that could give us a clue as to who is behind it?"

Azkadellia thought for a few moments, frustration flitting across her face when nothing came to mind. She shook her head, lowering her gaze. "I'm sorry, Deege. I can't remember. It all happened so quickly."

"It's okay, Az. We'll figure it out." DG gave her a reassuring smile. "You should try to get some rest. Rafe's going to be taking over your security detail so when he's selected his team, we'll make sure you're comfortable with them, okay?"

"Okay." Azkadellia managed a tiny smile, exhaustion and fear making her sway. "I'll try to sleep for a while."

"Raw stay with Azkadellia and help keep bad dreams away," Raw volunteered, taking her hand and tugging her gently away from DG.

"And I'll come back once I've got cleaned up and changed," DG promised, giving her sister's hand a final squeeze before letting Raw lead Azkadellia back to her bedroom.

Not a word was said as DG led the way out of the suite, across the hall and into the rooms she called her own. She wrapped her arms around her middle and stood by the window, staring out of it blindly. Behind her, she heard Cain murmur something to Glitch and then the sound of retreating footsteps before the door to her rooms were closed, the lock engaged with a gentle click.

Seconds later, Cain was behind her, drawing her back against him. She turned to face him, pressing her face against his chest as she clung just as tightly.

Words weren't needed but the contact was; a silent seeking of reassurance that the other was okay, and a promise that whatever the threat was, they'd face it together.

*/*


	18. Chapter 18

*/*

It was the first night since their reunion that Cain hadn't slept with DG beside him. He tossed and turned in the all too big, all too spacious bed, unable to get comfortable despite the luxurious mattress beneath him.

He couldn't stop seeing DG in his mind, watching her take control of the situation as everyone else willingly let her. He kept replaying the moment he'd seen Azkadellia again for the first time in cycles, the shock of it as he compared his memory of her during her position with the fragile slip of a girl she'd become.

How Azkadellia could ever become Queen, he didn't know. If she were to take the throne, it would be in image only and he could only hope DG would be there at her side, to advise and guide and support her during her reign. Ozma help them if the Council got their way and DG was sent to IX to be an unwilling bride.

When the door to his room opened, he reached immediately for his gun, pointing it at the intruder before they'd had a chance to take a single step forward.

"It's just me," DG called out, her voice soft and cautious.

"I thought you were spendin' the night with your sister." His heart continued to race though for a very different reason as he put the gun back on the table beside the bed. "Won't she be missing you?"

"She's sleeping soundly. Raw did some kind of Viewer thing because she started to have a nightmare." She sounded as sad as she did tired as she slowly made her way to the bed. "He said she'd be out until after the second sun rise so I figured it'd be okay for me to leave her. I can go to my room if you'd prefer to be alone?"

The uncertainty in her voice made him growl and he reached out to snag her wrist as soon as she was close enough, tugging her to him and onto the bed before she could even think about leaving. "It'll cause a scandal if you're caught here," he murmured, brushing her hair back from her face as he placed a kiss beneath her ear. He smirked at the hitch in her breathing and did it again, pulling her more firmly against him.

"In that case, maybe I should leave," she said a little breathlessly, though by the way she clutched at his shoulders as he rolled her beneath him, effectively trapping her, he knew there was no fear of that happening. "I can't sleep without you anymore," she whispered, arching into him as he started to leave a trail of kisses along the line of her neck to her jaw and eventually to her lips. "That's going to be a problem."

"I don't have a problem with it." He kissed her deeply, sinking into her. Though the voice at the back of his mind warning him to keep a grip on his control was still there, Cain wasn't feeling as inclined to listen to it. There was something about being back at the palace, seeing his DG disappear as the Princess she had to be took her place, a need to reassure himself that she was still there somewhere underneath it all.

She shifted a leg to wrap it around him, pressing him down against her as she pushed up. Her lips parted beneath his, taking everything he gave and silently begging for more.

It was only when he felt her nibble fingers slip beneath the shirt he'd worn to sleep in that common sense came back to him and he tore his mouth away from hers, only half-hearing her moan of displeasure as he panted into the crook of her neck.

"I want this," DG told him, locking her arms around him as though she were afraid he was going to move away. "I want you, Wyatt."

"I want you, too, Deege." He nipped at her neck, soothing the sting with a kiss as she shifted restlessly beneath him, feeling the evidence of his statement against her. "But I told you. This doesn't go further till I get a ring on your finger."

"What if someone else gets their ring there instead?" She tightened her arms around him as he lifted himself up just enough to look at her. "I don't want to wait for someday in case it never gets here. I don't want to wait for my wedding night if it's not with you."

It took a few moments for his brain to catch up, and when it did, his eyes darkened further. "You don't want to wait...?"

A blush coloured her cheeks but she kept her gaze on his as she nodded. "I want you to be my first, Wyatt Cain, especially if you can't be my only."

He let his forehead rest against hers, his eyes closing as he sought out one of her hands, lacing their fingers together. "I will be," he promised, his voice low with intent. "But that's all the more reason to take our time with this."

"We've waited over a year. Annual. Whatever. What if time runs out?" She moved the hand that wasn't clutching his to the back of his neck, fingers stroking the short hair there. "I don't want to risk it, Wyatt."

"We won't." He leaned down to steal another kiss from her lips, keeping it brief so not to get caught up in the whirlwind of want and need she stirred so effortlessly in him. "But not tonight, DG. Our first time together isn't going to be a knee-jerk reaction to events beyond our control. It's going to be about nothin' else but you and me."

She grumbled her disapproval of the plan but let him roll off her only to curl up against him when he lay on his back, her head on his shoulders as their joined hands came to rest over his heart.

*\\*

Things moved quickly after DG's return to Central City and declaration that the family would be moving to Finaqua.

The Council weren't happy, and Cain experienced meeting them for the first time. It took a gentle touch of DG's hand on his arm and a quelling look from his son but he managed to somehow not shoot one of the self-righteous nobles who tried to stop the Royal Family from moving somewhere they'd be safer.

Duke Montague and Count Faraday were the worst offenders and, in his mind, the two that needed to be watched carefully. After a quiet discussion with his son, he was pleased to find out Jeb felt the same.

The first reason they gave him for hating them was their clear distaste of DG. Glitch had warned him there were some members of the Queen's Council who objected to the younger Gale daughter's different way of doing things and Cain would have bet everything he owned that the Council members Glitch had been alluding to were Montague and Faraday.

First, they objected to her plan of going to Finaqua. When they'd been talked around to agreeing to that by the other members of the Council, they'd objected to the security detail DG had suggested, comprising of himself, Jeb, Rafe, Bane, Bran, Ishta and Elliot. They'd argued that it was too many, given that there were already guards stationed at Finaqua. Besides, they'd added with a suspicious glance in Cain's direction, the former Tin Man, while respected as a hero of the Eclipse, didn't have a formal title and was therefore not an official member of staff.

If looks could kill, Faraday would have been dead at the fire shooting from DG's eyes. As it was, Cain himself had to move to keep her from advancing on the man, her palms sparking with her magic.

Ahamo was the one to step in and calm the situation, smoothly announcing that Cain was succeeding him as General and Troop Commander and had accepted the position as DG's personal guard until the threat to their family was resolved.

The newly bestowed title gave Cain reason to pause, though he suspected DG didn't understand the significance of the role Ahamo had given him. Oh, she'd smiled and arched an eyebrow when he'd bene appointed her personal bodyguard but it was the General and Troop Commander title that had caused Montague's face to redden, Cain was sure.

Especially as it was a title usually reserved for the Consort and no one else.

It didn't escape Jeb's notice, and Cain caught his son trying to hide a smirk behind his palm as Ahamo glared down the two nobles who would dare speak against him. It was fascinating to watch the calm and placid Consort slip into his Seeker persona, more so when both faraday and Montague immediately backed down though Cain doubted they knew about the Consort's other identity.

It was the second Montague mentioned the Prince from IX that Cain found himself reaching for his gun again. DG stilled beside him, as if frozen, and fixed the Duke with a suspicious stare.

"What do you mean, we're expecting a visit from the Prince?" The Queen stood gracefully from her seat at the head of the table and stared her advisor down. "Why is this the first I've heard of it?"

"The communication arrived after the attack on the Princess Azkadellia, Your Majesty." Montague lowered his head but didn't sound at all remorseful. "We thought it best not to disturb you and instead to finalise the arrangements ourselves."

"We? Ourselves?" The Queen's lavender eyes narrowed as she stared at each of the Council members in turn. Most of them looked as surprised as she was. Most of them. "Who would that be, Duke Montague?"

"Count Faraday, my Queen," Montague admitted with a glance at his fellow Council member.

"I see." Queen Lavender's tone was icy. "And did you inform anyone else of this communication?"

Around the table, people shook their heads. Montague and Faraday found it difficult to meet her gaze and stared instead at the top of the table.

"I see," the Queen repeated. "You will write to the Prince and you will tell him that we will be leaving Central City."

"Invite him to join us in Finaqua," DG suggested, earning surprised looks from her family as well as the two Cain men in attendance. She didn't look at any of them, fixing her gaze on Montague and Faraday instead. "If the Prince plans to travel to the OZ, it's only right that we agree to meet with him. It would be useful," she continued quietly, her gaze never wavering, "to be able to speak to him in person, without anyone acting as a go between. At least then we'll all know where we stand and there'll be no room for misinterpretation."

Though Cain didn't like it, he understood her distrust of the two men in charge of communicating with her potential betrothed. At least if they were taken out of the equation, an open and honest conversation could take place between the Prince and Princess who were bound by an annuals-old marriage contract.

"Very well, my darling." The Queen smiled at her daughter, but the smile faded into a hard expression as she fixed her gaze on the Duke and Count. "Arrange it, and copy Lord Ambrose in to your messages," she ordered. "You will both remain here in the city until we return."

"But, Your Majesty," Faraday began to protest, glancing at Montague. "Perhaps it would be better if we accompanied you to Finaqua to meet with the Prince and liaise with his people..."

"We have had the most contact," Montague agreed. "It would make more sense –"

"It would make sense for me to meet and speak with him on my own considering I'm the one supposedly meant to marry him," DG interrupted curtly. "The Queen has given you your orders, gentlemen. You would be wise to follow them."

There was an unspoken threat in her words, and the room suddenly felt a lot colder than it had. Cain wasn't sure if DG was aware her magic was spilling out of her but the members of the Council were and they looked at her with a combination of awe and interest. Curiously, the only members who stared at her with fear – and was that repulsion? – on their faces were Montague and Faraday.

He felt himself relax at that, realising that there were more allies at Court than there were enemies. Whether DG knew it or not, she'd managed to win over a lot of her mother's advisors simply by being herself. As for those she hadn't, Cain suspected they wouldn't last long at Court when the crown's position was fully secured.

The meeting was adjourned shortly after, and less than an hour after that, the Royal Family were loaded into carriages that would take them to Finaqua.

Cain rode alongside the carriage that carried DG and her sister, knowing DG shared his wish that she could be on his horse with him in the fresh air instead of cooped up inside the luxurious coach.

With the Prince's arrival imminent, it was only a matter of time before DG's fate, and their future together, was revealed to them.

*/*


	19. Chapter 19

*/*

DG's magic was everywhere. He could feel it against every one of his senses, teasing him the very second he stepped foot inside the hedge maze that seemed to sway in a non-existent breeze, welcoming them home.

He wondered if anyone else felt it but guessed not as no one else seemed effected by the same heady sensation as he was. Raw had a knowing smile on his face, as if he'd been welcomed home, and in a way, Cain thought he had.

She'd brought it back to life in more ways than one, he realised, infusing the place with her magic in every way possible. He didn't need to ask to know the place felt different to what it had been prior to the Witch's reign but as no one else commented, he didn't think it was his place to say.

When DG herself moved to walk beside him, acceptable given he was her assigned bodyguard, he found his senses were heightened where she was concerned, and every brush of the back of her hand against hers as they walked felt like a far more intimate caress.

It was going to kill him, he decided; there was no way he was going to stay sane so surrounded by her but unable to act on the feelings the sensation created within her.

Torture came to mind, a sweet torture that was as pleasurable as it was painful.

He glanced at DG as they walked, saw a secretive smile on her face transform into something more innocent, and felt his eyes narrow in suspicion.

Oh, she knew what the place was doing to him. He wasn't sure how, but she knew.

The palace at Finaqua was beautiful, glittering in the light of the two suns. It sparkled like the surface of the water of the lake beside it, a shining beacon of light and purity.

A symbol of all things good in the OZ, even more so than Central City.

The guards on duty had been warned ahead and welcomed them inside. The Queen and Consort went to their rooms to freshen up before dinner; Azkadellia opted to do the same, tired from the journey though DG would tell him later than her sister had done little but sleep fitfully as they'd made their way there.

Glitch excused himself to review the file of communications from the Prince of IX he'd been passed from the Council members who'd conducted most of it, and Jeb and Ishta had joined him, taking a keen interest in the proceedings due to their loyalty to DG.

Raw had gone with Azkadellia, having taken on the role of protector where the elder Princess was concerned, and he was accompanied by Rafe, who had assigned himself as Azkadellia's personal guard as well as head of her security detail.

DG opted to wander around the grounds to re-familiarise herself with the family home that had always been her favourite, despite its connection to that fateful day when the Witch had been released. Even though he had little choice in the matter, there was nowhere else Cain would have chosen to be other than at her side, careful to maintain a respectful distance as they walked along the lakeside.

"Are you okay, Wyatt?" She asked quietly, stopping to face him on the edge of the shore. "You've been even quieter than usual since we got here."

He faced her full on, quirking an eyebrow as he tilted his head back to look at her under the rim of his fedora. "You should know the answer to that, DG."

"Should I?" Her expression was questioning but Cain wasn't fooled by her apparent confusion. "Have I done something?"

He took a step closer, not sure whether to be frustrated or amused when she took a step back. Tease. "You've done plenty, DG," he muttered, reaching out to keep her from stepping back again as he stepped forward. He didn't need to glance over his shoulder to know they were well out of sight of the guards patrolling the grounds of Finaqua. "I can feel you everywhere," he told her, his voice low and hoarse with need he'd been trying to keep contained. "You're in the air, in the ground, in the water. Everything feels like you."

"Oh." She went willingly when he tugged her closer by his hands on her hips, fingers digging into her flesh hard enough to mark but she was far from complaining. "I didn't think you'd feel it, too. I mean, I thought it was just me. I can feel my magic everywhere but I didn't think you... Wyatt." His name was a gasp, torn from her throat before he kissed her hungrily, deeply.

He was drowning in her, so it was only fair that he tried to drag her down, too.

He couldn't get enough of her, nor she of him. When Cain backed her up so she was pinned between him and the trunk of an old tree, DG made a keening noise at the back of her throat and clutched at him all the more, lifting her legs with minimal encouragement to wrap them around him, keeping him as close as he could get. He had one arm braced against the tree, the other wrapped around her waist, keeping her anchored to him, lost in the taste of her, the feel of her, the scent of her up against him and all around him.

It was somehow all too much and still not enough.

Common sense reminded him that they were outdoors and that there was still an unknown threat to her and her family out there somewhere, and that was enough to act as a deterrent. Tearing his mouth away from hers, Cain panted heavily as he tried to regain his senses and tried to keep DG from losing hers.

"Not here," he growled.

"You keep saying that," DG retorted, her blues eyes flashing with impatience and want and need. "Please, Wyatt."

"Tonight," he found himself promising, resting his forehead against hers even as he warred with himself. There was no way he could continue to resist her, no way he could keep fighting when they were in this place where everything reminded him of her. "I'll come to you tonight. I promise."

Her eyes went wide, her lips parting. It was all he could do not to lean in and kiss her again. "Okay." She nodded, her cheeks flushed and a pleased smile curling the corners of her mouth. "Okay."

It was a promise he hadn't planned to make but one he knew he would absolutely keep.

*\\*

She paced the room, clasping and unclasping her hands in front of her.

DG cursed as she moved back and forth in front of the bed that looked far too intimidating, not to mention empty.

She should have asked for a time, demanded he be more specific.

Anticipation built inside her, burning her from the inside out. Her heart was beating overtime, her legs feeling weak though she couldn't stop pacing.

She paused when she heard the outer door to her suite open, spinning to face the door to her bedroom just in time to see him slip inside, closing the door behind him.

He wasn't wearing his duster and had his fedora in his hand. As DG watched, swallowing hard, he tossed the fedora down on her dressing table and stalked towards her.

The second their bodies collided, she knew this was it. The moment she'd been waiting for, hoping for, dreaming of.

She gave as much as she could, took as much as he gave. Her fingers trembled as she helped him undo the fastening of his holster, the buttons of his shirt. Her breath caught in her throat as he kissed her neck, his hands warm as they slid over her body over the thin nightdress she wore.

When he backed her towards the bed, she went with him willingly, her entire being focused on him. She helped him remove her nightdress and crossed her arms over her chest, feeling exposed. When he eased her arms away, fingers linking with hers, she dropped her head and waited.

"You're beautiful, darlin'," Cain murmured, letting go of one of her hands so he could tilt up her face and brush his lips gently against hers. "My Princess. My DG."

Suddenly shy, she lifted her arms to wrap around his neck, pulling him closer so she could feel skin on skin, flesh on flesh. "Show me," she whispered against his lips. "Touch me, Wyatt."

His eyes locked on hers, hands moving to her waist so he could lift her and set her down in the centre of the bed. He followed her down, covering her body with his as she wrapped herself around him, giving him everything.

Heart, body, mind and soul.

*\\*

Morning came all too soon.

There was a delicious ache in her body as she stretched, a hum escaping her as she felt a warm body against hers, an arm heavy around her waist.

It wasn't the first time they'd woken up together, but it was the first they'd been so entwined, skin against skin beneath the tangled sheets. She turned in the circle of his arms to face him, pressing her lips against his in a sweet, unassuming kiss.

"Morning, Sweetheart," Cain greeted her, his voice a rumble in his chest she felt vibrate through her own. "Sleep well?"

"Mmm hmm." She stretched again, pressing against him, a devious smile on her face as he groaned and rolled them over so she was underneath him. Loping her arms around his neck, she smiled up at him. "I slept very well, thank you. How about you?"

"Best sleep I've had in as long as I can remember," he told her honestly, pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead. "But I need to get going soon, Deege. I can't be seen leaving your room this early."

She pouted up at him. "But you're my bodyguard. You're just doing your job."

"I'm not gonna be your bodyguard forever, and my replacement is absolutely not going to be doing this with you." His tone brokered no room for argument, and he arched an eyebrow at the amusement that flickered over her face. "I mean it, DG."

"Oh, I know you do. Don't worry, this is a perk that's yours entirely." She smiled again, shifting beneath him to free one of her legs so she could wrap it around one of his. "But I don't want you to go. I want to wake up like this every morning, and stay like this for as long as we want to."

"I want to do that, too," he assured, stealing another chaste kiss from her lips. "But we've slept too long to linger this mornin', DG. Your parents will be expecting you for breakfast."

"They'll be expecting us," she pointed out, tightening her leg over his when he tried to roll off her. "I'm not supposed to go anywhere without you, remember?"

"I remember, and I'm glad you do." He quirked an eyebrow. "Let me go now and I promise I'll make it up to you later, sweetheart."

She huffed but let her leg drop to the side. "I'll hold you to that, Tin Man."

He smirked and kissed her again before rolling away. "I'm sure you will." She watched him get dress, smiling innocently when he turned around, trousers on but as of yet unfastened. "Enjoying the view, Deege?"

"Absolutely." She grinned, unabashed.

He shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips even as he fought to keep his amusement at her antics from showing. Once fully dressed, he leaned over to kiss her again. "You've got fifteen minutes, then the Queen will probably send a search party."

He retreated to his own room, and DG wondered idly if he managed to sneak past the guards outside her room or didn't bother trying. After washing and dressing herself, she slipped out of the doors into the hallway and found Bran and Elliot on duty. They greeted her with genuine smiles and she found herself grateful for having people she knew with her rather than the palace guards who still insisted on observing protocol and tried to blend into the walls rather than have her acknowledge their presence.

They wouldn't have batted an eyelid at Cain leaving her room first thing in the morning, either, which was a relief as it meant there'd be no gossiping about it later.

Not that she was ashamed of it, or that she particularly felt like hiding her feelings for her Tin Man. Her family were already well aware of how she felt and if not for the upcoming visit for her potential husband-to-be, she was confident her parents would have already given them their blessing to make their relationship official in the eyes of the OZ.

Maybe one day, DG thought to herself wistfully, making her way along the hallway towards the breakfast room, aware of the guards falling into step behind her.

"I'm sorry you had to get dragged here after getting back to the city," she apologised to them both, slowing so they were a mere pace behind her. She would have preferred them to walk in step with her but knew that while they'd have had no problem if they were still out in the middle of the forest, it wouldn't be looked on favourably for them to do so in the palace.

"It's not a problem, Princess," Bran told her with a smile. "We weren't planning on being home just yet, anyway."

"No, I suppose not." She sighed at the reminder that she should still be touring the realm, though comforted herself with the thought she had made it to the South and might be able to salvage that leg of her tour while she was home in Finaqua. "I bet you'll both be glad to get back to the city, though. Get back to your own lives instead of being pulled from them by mine."

"It's our job, Princess," Elliot assured her, shrugging a shoulder when she glanced at him. "It's a nicer job than fighting Longcoats every day."

"But you must have things you want to get back to," DG persisted, warming to the subject. "A girl or guy, friends, family?"

"We're each other's family," Elliot answered, though the blush creeping up his neck suggested there was perhaps a special someone waiting for him at home. "Been that way for a while now."

"Don't worry, DG," Bran added, allowing the informality since there was no one else around. "The Captain's generous with the leave we're allowed. If we didn't want to be here, we wouldn't be."

"Well, thank you. I do appreciate it." And because they knew she did, they were all the more willing to do what they could to help her.

Approaching the breakfast room, she saw Cain standing at the doorway waiting for her. Her lips twitched but she tried to keep her smile at bay, not wanting anything to give away the night they'd spend together. His own expression was impassive as he turned to greet her, but there was a knowing glimmer in his eyes that hadn't been there the day before, and a promise that what they'd shared was just the beginning. It made her stomach flip and her pulse pick up.

No longer needed, her guards dropped back, allowing her to close the gap between herself and Cain on her own. There was no outward change in the way they greeted each other but when Cain offered her his arm to lead her into the room, DG accepted with a shy smile.

Her family were already sitting around the table when they walked into the room, all three looking up to greet her with tired smiles. Raw was there, too, sitting in the seat beside Azkadellia. DG knew it wasn't just her imagination that his dark gaze lingered on her and Cain, and again had to fight back a blush when he gave her a smile that was both knowing and full of approval.

Glitch, Jeb and Ishta were missing, which surprised her; she'd been expecting Glitch to be there as he usually was, and had hoped for an update from Jeb after he'd taken oven looking into the assassination attempt on Azkadellia.

"Good morning, my angel," her mother greeted her. "Please, join us. And you, too, of course, General. We were just discussing what we might down while we're here."

"I've no doubt you've got a suggestion or two, DG," her father added, a grin on his face.

Since it was true, DG shrugged as she reached for a piece of toast. "I was thinking we could invite some of the people I was due to meet here for a gathering of some kind. Not all of them all together," she added, seeing the look of concern that flittered across Cain's face echoed on her fathers, not to mention the alarm that flashed in her sister's eyes. "Maybe the families of those here in the South I was supposed to meet. Not enough to be a security risk, I promise."

The Queen answered before her husband could. "It's a good idea, DG. It's been too long since we saw our friends here in the South, hasn't it, my husband?"

Knowing he'd been backed into a corner by his wife and daughter, Ahamo sighed as he reached for his coffee. "It has, my love. We could ask Ambrose to make the arrangements."

"Speaking of Glitch," DG chimed in, "where is he this morning? I thought he'd be here. It's not like him to miss a meal."

"He was going through the correspondence we've had from the Prince and his people," Ahamo informed her. "For some reason, there were no copies kept of the letters Montague and Faraday sent so he's trying to figure out what was said from the responses received."

"I'm guessing he's already tried just asking them what they said?" DG enquired, rolling her eyes when her father nodded. "And I'm also guessing they simply couldn't remember?"

"Something like that," Ahamo agreed wryly. "Don't worry, Spitfire, I don't think we'll have to worry about them for long."

"Oh?" DG paused, her slice of toast part way to her mouth. "I thought we couldn't risk upsetting any of them?"

"We haven't," her mother replied, sounding a little smug. "The other members of the Council are aghast at their behaviour and have petitioned to have them removed from their position. I sent my approval of their request this morning."

"Oh." Surprised, DG set her toast back down on her plate. "Is that what you were waiting for? For the other Council members to take a stand against them?"

"It's a good thing, DG." Azkadellia's voice was quiet but reassuring as she met her sister's gaze across the table. "It means the others are on our side, that they've accepted us."

DG nodded but didn't reached for her food again. Her appetite had vanished. It was all well and good for the Council to have decided they would support the Royal Family and stand up against those who wouldn't but hadn't it come too late – and at her expense? She couldn't bring herself to be as pleased about it as her parents or sister, not when there were still so many unknown factors about what was in store. Frustration ate away at her, too, a little voice at the back of her mind ranting that if they'd stood up sooner, maybe the agreement with the Royal Family of IX could have been forgotten about all together.

Cain nudged her leg under the table, picking up on her mood but unable to question her on it in present company.

Thankfully, her parents didn't seem to pick up on her mood and were content to carry the conversation, speaking about those friends from the South they could invite along with the nobles DG had been unable to visit. Azkadellia interjected every so often, usually when prompted to remember someone from their childhood by their parents. Raw glanced at DG, concern on his face, but nodded in understanding at the slight shake of the head he got from Cain.

Just as they were finishing their morning meal, a harried looking Glitch arrived with Jeb and Ishta on his heels.

"The Prince will be here tomorrow," Glitch announced, his eyes a little panicked as he looked from DG to her parents. "He was already on the edges of the OZ when he got the letter saying we'd relocated here for the time being. He said... He said he looks forward to discussing plans for the wedding and subsequent marriage. I'm sorry, DG."

Glad she hadn't managed to eat more than a mouthful, convinced it would have made a reappearance if she had, DG gave him a small nod to show she didn't blame him and excused herself as quickly as she could.

*/*


	20. Chapter 20

*/*

Her parents wanted to go after her but Cain insisted they prepare for the Prince's arrival. He and Jeb agreed to split up to go looking for the runaway princess, though when he noticed Azkadellia slowly get up from the table and make her way towards the door, he followed his instincts and went after her.

The elder Princess was mindful of Rafe falling into step behind her, but didn't object to her guard's presence. Cain suspected she knew he was following her, too, but it didn't stop her.

She made her way through the endless corridors, most of which looked the same to him, before coming to a stop outside a room Cain had never been inside before but which, again, felt so strongly of DG, he felt suddenly off balance.

"Please give me a moment alone with my sister, Rafe, General," Azkadellia asked softly. Everything about her was so different to the way the Sorceress had held herself that Cain was struck once again by the difference in the vulnerable yet no doubt still powerful woman before him. He nodded, and motioned for Rafe to take up his station on the opposite side of the double doors as Azkadellia smiled her thanks and went inside.

As Azkadellia had suspected, her little sister was curled up on the window seat of the large library overlooking the lake. She had her legs pulled in her chest, resting her chin on her knees, as she stared despondently out of the window.

It'd been one of their favourite rooms as little girls, Azkadellia remembered. She couldn't count how many times her little sister had begged her to sit with her in the window seat and read one of their favourite stories over and over again. Childhood tales of mystery and magic, all of which ended with a happy ending that had made the sister's sigh dreamily and dare to dream they might get their happily ever after, too.

Crossing the room to her sister's side, Azkadellia wasted no time in sitting next to her, wrapping a slender arm around DG's trembling shoulders. She remembered finding DG here once before, after a terrible nightmare had sent her sister fleeing from her room. Their parents had searched everywhere for her, frantic that their then five-annual-old daughter was missing. Azkadellia had calmly made her way to the library, to the window seat, and had spent hour after hour listening to her baby sister cry, murmuring that everything was going to be okay because she was there, and she'd never let anything hurt her.

An annual later, DG had died at her hands.

No, not hers. Azkadellia was quick to push the thought away. Her sister needed her to be strong now, and strong she would be.

It was about time, really.

"You don't have to marry him, Deege." Azkadellia told her. "There is still a way out of this for you."

"It's too late, Az," DG shook her head. "It's my name he's been given. He'll be expecting it."

"But the marriage contract wasn't specific," Azkadellia reminded her. "It mentioned a Gale daughter. That's you and me. I could do it. Or at least say I will," she added ruefully. "He'd probably run a mile if he thought I was his bride to be."

"I can't let you do that, Az." DG sighed heavily. "You're going to be Queen. You're needed here, in the OZ."

"You could be Queen instead of me." Azkadellia was deadly serious. "I've been thinking about it, Deege, as has everyone in the country, I'm sure. You would make the better Queen. You're stronger than I, for starters. Not to mention the hero of the Eclipse. I'm the one who caused it all."

"No, you're not. That's me. You're the one who was strong enough to withstand being possessed for so long and come out of it on the other side." DG lifted her head to stare her sister down, squeezing her hand firmly. "You are so much stronger than you think you are, my beautiful big sister."

"I'm only strong when I've got you with me," Azkadellia admitted. "If you marry the Prince and end up in IX, I'll be the weakest Queen the OZ has known. I... I don't know if I can be, Deege. I know I don't want to be."

"If I marry the Prince, you'll have to be," DG told her firmly. "You have no choice in that, Azkadellia, just as I have no choice in this marriage."

"We could swap places," Azkadellia argued. "I could marry the Prince and go to IX. You could stay here and rule the OZ."

"It would break you, Azkadellia," DG said softly, gripping her sister's hand again. Her eyes flashed fiercely. "You've spent the last fifteen annuals of your life being controlled and violated against your will. I will not condemn you to spend the rest of your life being controlled by a husband you don't love."

"But you'll condemn yourself to that same fate," Azkadellia murmured. "And you'll condemn the man standing outside this room, who loves you with his whole heart, to a half-life of standing by and watching the woman he loves forced into marriage with another."

"He knows it's a question of duty and not choice," DG said stiffly. "And he knows as well as I do how much you've been through."

Azkadellia studied her sister for a long moment. While she appreciated DG trying to protect her, she was tired of being the sister who needed to protecting. She was the oldest; she was the one who had always taken care of DG. "I don't need you to fight my battles for me, little sister. When the Prince gets here, we'll give him his choice of sister. If he chooses me, you have to promise me you'll let it happen."

"And if he chooses me, you have to promise me you'll be the best Queen the OZ has ever seen," DG returned after a moment.

Azkadellia felt a thrill of fear go through her at the thought, the idea of having to take the throne and rule their people a terrifying one. She knew in that moment that if she could trade places with DG, she would. If she could convince the IX Prince to marry her, to let her leave the OZ with him, she absolutely would.

It was what her sister deserved. What the OZ deserved.

And despite DG's words to the contrary, it was what she thought she deserved, too.

*/*

"Why don't you run away together?"

Of all the people Cain had thought might suggest it, his son was not amongst them. He sat at the desk in the study he'd been told he could share with his son to familiarise himself with the reports of the Army Ahamo had stated was now his to command and watched as Jeb paced the room in front of him.

DG and Azkadellia were still in the library, and had been since he'd left them there after breakfast. He'd seen his Princess briefly, only to have her assure him she was okay and would see him later, and had had to be content with that.

Now, he was sat in his study, watching his son, listening as Jeb suggested the very things he himself had considered.

"If you go back to the Western Guild and ask for asylum, Commander Wynn would grant it in a heartbeat. No one would be able to find you there unless you wanted them to," his son continued, the plan crystallising in his mind. "I don't think there'd be a huge objection from the people, either. There'll be outrage when news of this breaks across the realm."

"DG would never allow it, as it means Az would be vulnerable." If he thought she'd say yes, he'd whisk her away in a heartbeat. "They've come to an agreement, Az and DG. They'll both meet with the Prince and allow him to choose who he claims as his bride."

"DG will never let him choose Azkadellia, even if he wants to," Jeb said with a certainty Cain himself shared. "She'll do whatever she can to make sure he chooses her."

"I know." And he'd be damned if the thought didn't break his heart. "And if he does, he'll take her to the IX."

Jeb stopped pacing to look at his father. "You'll try to go with her."

"I'm her bodyguard," Cain said with a shrug. "I'd hand back the title Ahamo gave me and offer to go with them to guarantee her safety."

"If he's a smart man, he won't let you," Jeb said softly. "And I've got to say, Dad, it doesn't take a genius to look at you two and figure out there's something going on. The way you look at each other, the way you gravitate towards each other even when you're in a room full of people. The Prince is going to know."

"Then he should know there's no one else who'll put his wife first like I will. If he wants her to live, and I'm guessin' he will because she'll be quite the trophy in his homeland, he'll want me there with her because I won't let any harm come to her."

"But harm could come to you," Jeb said softly, stopping in front of his desk. Fear joined frustration in his eyes. "All it would take is DG to say one wrong word to annoy him and he'd have you killed as punishment."

"It's a risk I'll take," Cain answered quietly. He ran his hand through his hair, guilt coursing through him as he realised he was being forced to choose. "I'm sorry, Jeb. I don't want to leave you again but if I have to, if it means bein' able to keep her safe..."

"I wouldn't expect you to stay," Jeb assured him just as quietly. "If I could, I'd go with you. Not sure how that would look, though. Captain of the Royal Guard and Troop Commander of the OZ both deflecting to the IX to be with Princess DG."

The sentiment was there, though, and Cain appreciated it. He got to his feet and approached his son, holding out his hand. He was surprised but pleased when Jeb took it and used it to pull his father into a warm embrace.

"I don't want to lose you, Dad," Jeb uttered.

"You'll never lose me as long as I'm alive," Cain promised, vowing he'd do whatever he had to to keep his son in his life however he could manage. "I'm proud of you, son. Your mother would be, too."

Jeb nodded but the emotion that rose in his throat kept him from answering. He held onto his father for a moment longer before breaking away. "I better go make sure everything's ready for the Prince's arrival."

"Let me know if there's anything you need me to do," Cain offered, knowing his son wouldn't take him up on it.

He managed to stay in his office for another two hours before the need to be with DG got the better of him and he went in search of her.

*/*

The last place he looked was the place to find her. Curled up in his bed, looking lost and alone, DG didn't move as the bed dipped under his weight as he sat down beside her.

"What are you doing in here?" He asked softly. The room he'd been assigned was certainly comfortable but in comparison to her suite, it was simple.

Not befitting of a Princess, that was for sure.

"I wanted to be close to you," she said simply, leaning into his hand when he touched her cheek.

"You could've just come to find me," he told her, shifting to lie down next to her. "Then you could've been as close as you wanted."

"You were busy with Jeb." Her eyes were sad, her tone resigned. "I'm scared, Wyatt."

"What scares you the most?" He was curious what her answer would be.

"I don't know," she confessed. "I don't know if I'm more afraid he'll choose Az and I'll lose her, or he'll choose me and I'll lose you."

"You won't lose me." He kissed her sweetly. "No matter what, DG. You're not going to lose me."

"But I will." Tears shimmered in her eyes. "We won't be able to spend time together like this anymore. I won't be able to kiss you or have you hold me like this. I won't get to wake up every morning with you, go to sleep every night with you. We won't be able to get married, maybe have kids, grow old together."

"You want those things?" The hand he'd been using to soothe her back stilled momentarily.

"Only with you," she told him earnestly. "Only if I can have them with you."

The confession broke his heart anew and he couldn't speak past the lump in this throat. The image of a little girl with his eyes and DG's hair running around came to the forefront of his mind and he had to fight to push it away, knowing the chances of it happening were fading by the second.

Instead, he drew her closer and kissed her deeply. He rolled onto his back, drawing her with him, feeling the weight of her settle over him. DG went willingly, wrapping herself around him, melting against him. Supple and pliant, she moulded her body to his, kissing him with the same desperation he felt. Her fingers moved to divest him of his clothing as his hands roamed over her body, searching for soft skin underneath the material keeping them apart.

If all he could have with her was the here and now, he was going to make every second count.

*/*


	21. Chapter 21

*/*

Time ticked by too quickly; the Prince of IX's arrival was imminent.

DG stood in line with her parents and sister, conscious of Cain standing only a few feet away as the Prince's arrival was announced.

She felt sick and shaky, her legs weak even as she held herself tall. When the Prince and his entourage were shown into the palace by Glitch, who was firmly in Lord Ambrose mode, she thought for a moment that she was going to pass out.

Prince Faseem was a striking man; handsome, some would say. He had sharp features, intense green eyes and dark hair that curled lightly. He bowed to her parents, kissed her mother's hand. He greeted Azkadellia with none of the suspicion their own people usually did and took DG's own hand in his as he bowed to kiss it.

"Princess DG. It is an honour to finally meet you in person."

DG managed what she hoped was a smile. "We're pleased you were able to join us, Prince Faseem."

"As am I. Your home here is most beautiful. In my country, we have no lakes to speak of, though the ocean is not far from my home." His tone was pleasant, conversational. DG wondered how she could take her hand back without offending him. "If you are fond of your lake, you will enjoy the ocean."

"I've seen an ocean," she told him softy, withdrawing her hand after a moment longer and resisting the urge to wipe the back of it against the skirt of the dress her mother had insisted she wear. "There were oceans on the Other Side."

The Prince's eyes narrowed for a moment, before realisation dawned and his eyes lit up. "Ah, yes. I had forgotten. You must tell me all about the Other Side, Princess. I am eager to hear your stories."

"And I'm sure my daughter would love to share them, Prince Faseem, but there are things we must discuss."

Grateful for her mother's interruption, DG took advantage of the Prince's distracted state to take a small step back. Cain, it seemed, had taken a small step forward, as she could feel his heat behind her and felt herself relax. When she felt the touch of his hand against the small of her back, discreet and hidden from the Prince in front of her, she drew strength from it and internally sighed.

Her parents were experts in handling tricky diplomatic situations, DG was quickly beginning to learn. She watched in admiration as they tag-teamed the Prince and his Advisor, keeping them both occupied with mindless conversation as they led the way to the drawing room that had bene prepared for entertaining their guests.

It helped soothe her nerves to focus on the potential lesson rather than the reason for the Prince's visit. It helped even more to have Cain take her hand for the briefest of moments as they moved to follow, careful to make sure the touch was hidden from the curious gaze of the rest of the Prince's entourage by their bodies as they walked.

It didn't go unmissed by Jeb, though, who saw the gesture as he trailed his father and the Princess. He was careful to keep his body between them and anyone else who might walk behind them and see the gesture, determined to protect them as much as he could.

Beside him, Ishta shifted and a glance at her showed him the reason for the change in angle was the lingering stare of one of the Prince's own guards. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it again as the Western Guild Warrior glared at the IX soldier and haughtily tossed her hair over her shoulder, dismissing him.

A smile almost crossed over his face at the gesture. Almost. It faded as they took up their position in the room with the Royal Family, his father stood dutifully behind DG's chair as the negotiations regarding her marriage contract began.

*/*

The Prince's advisor was adamant that the marriage would take place. The Prince himself didn't seem interested in the proceedings, interjecting only when he had something to add that made himself look important.

So far, DG had learned he had a property by the ocean and a property in the main city of IX, both of which were staffed by a team of over a hundred servants, artisan bakers and skilled musicians amongst them.

She wasn't interested.

The wealth he discussed, the luxuries he could afford... None of it interested her in the slightest.

"Tell me, Prince Faseem," DG interrupted in the middle of his spiel about the most exquisite portrait he'd commissioned – of himself – by the most renowned artist in IX. "What do you do the support the people of your country?"

"The people?" Prince Faseem stared at her, uncomprehending."

"The people, yes." DG fixed him with a dangerously polite smile. The conversation at the other end of the table had stopped but she wasn't paying attention. "What do you do for the poorer people in your society, the ones who can't find work to support themselves through no fault of their own such as illness or inability?" When the Prince only continued to stare at her, DG's smile sharpened. "What about the children who have lost their parents or were abandoned by them for whatever reason?"

"We... I..." The Prince glanced at his advisor for a moment before waving a dismissive hand. "That, my dear," he continued, with what she thought he assumed was a charming smile. "Is for the council to concern themselves with. I'm far too busy to be involved in such trivial matters."

"Trivial?" DG repeated, arching an eyebrow. "The welfare of your people is trivial? Then by all means, Your Highness, enlighten me as to what is so important that you can't concern yourself with such matters."

As the Prince listed a number of pastimes he would prefer to indulge in rather than pay an interest in running his country, DG's attention strayed. Firstly, to the man who stood behind her, his presence a balm she both needed and despaired of. If she could have spared him this, she would. If she thought he'd listen, she would tell him to leave her, to make a life for himself somewhere far away and be happy.

But he wouldn't, and there was a selfish part of her that was glad of it even as she hated that he had to go through it with her.

In a perfect world, they'd run away. They'd go somewhere safe, maybe to the Other Side, and they'd elope and settle down. He would find a job as a sheriff in a small town; she would make a living fixing things or maybe through painting if she was lucky. They'd have a kid or two, maybe three, and they'd be happy.

There'd be no stress, no worry. No having a country to run or its people to take care of.

Just the two of them, the love they felt for each other, and everything nice that came along with it.

Distracted by her thoughts, DG was only brought back to the conversation when she heard her mother's voice go shrill.

"So soon?" The Queen was aghast. "Why, Prince Faseem, must there be such urgency?"

Feeling like she'd missed something very important, especially if the way Cain's hand strayed to her shoulder and squeezed – hard – DG focused on the Prince's answer.

"I'm afraid it cannot be avoided, Your Majesty. I must return to my home country within three days. Princess DG, as my bride, must return with me. As I presume she would prefer the wedding ceremony itself to take place here, at least the initial ceremony, we must be wed tomorrow or the day after."

DG stared at him. Her mother stared at him. Her father looked like he wanted to kill him.

In the end, it was Azkadellia who found her voice first. "Prince Faseem, surely you must understand that the people of the OZ would not accept their recently returned Princess to be married off and disappear again in such a fashion. There would be uproar amongst the people of the OZ."

"The people of the OZ are not our concern," the Prince's advisor cut in, his smile curt. "They will have a Royal Wedding when you yourself marry, will they not, Princess Azkadellia? You are to be Queen when your mother chooses to step down."

Azkadellia held her chin high, meeting the advisor's gaze evenly. "It has yet to be decided, Sir, whether my sister or I will take the throne. As such, I am afraid it will be impossible to arrange a wedding between Prince Faseem and a daughter of the House of Gale within two days as we do not know which daughter he may marry."

"He will marry Princess DG," the advisor retorted, banging on the table with his fist. "It is as agreed."

"Agreed by whom?" The Queen asked quietly.

"Count Faraday and Duke Montague wrote to us to specify it was the Princess DG who would be entering into the contract with Prince Faseem," the advisor stated. He reached into his pocket and produced a document, a scroll that he unfastened and passed to her mother. "Is that not your signature agreeing the arrangement, Queen Lavender? And your seal?"

Her mother took the document, her face growing pale and her eyes wide as she reviewed it. "I assure you, Sir, I did not sign this. That may be my signature but I did not approve this agreement."

The advisor gave her a thin smile, his eyes cold. "Be that as it may, you signed the agreement annuals ago with Prince Faseem's parents. The wedding will take place the day after tomorrow, Your Majesty, and Princess DG will return with us to IX the day after. It has been agreed, and it is what will be." He got to his feet, the Prince following suit at a slightly slower pace. "I believe our conversation has finished. There are preparations to make, and a wedding to plan."

*\\*

Azkadellia had offered herself as an alternative several times, but the Prince's advisor had turned her down each time. The agreement, he told her, stated that Princess DG would marry Prince Faseem, and that is all they would accept.

Azkadellia was devastated she couldn't save her sister, Queen Lavender distraught she had somehow been betrayed into signing DG's freedom away, and Ahamo stalked around the palace as though he'd kill someone if they dared look at him the wrong way.

Glitch had shut himself in his office, muttering to himself that there had to be a way, a loophole, to free DG from the contract. He barely ate, rarely slept, and DG found she worried about him just as much as she did about her upcoming nuptials to a man she didn't know and couldn't stand what little she did.

Raw was trying to cope with all of the emotions that were flying around and DG was doing her best to help him, despite his protests that he didn't need her to. As well as shielding her own emotions, she'd taken to shielding the Viewer, much to Cain and Jeb's disagreement. He was one of the best assets, they argued, an evasive way to scan for potential dangers to the safety and security of the Royal Family. DG stood her ground and argued that Raw's own safety was paramount and she wouldn't put that at risk.

Her mother's Advisory Council had descended on the Southern Palace as soon as word had reached them, and as such, were in meeting after meeting while frantically planning a wedding that could be deemed suitable for a Princess.

A wedding no one, it seemed, wanted to happen.

Still, hasty invitations were sent. DG was bundled off to fittings for a wedding dress she didn't want. People she'd never met before, and some she had during her failed tour, turned up to attend the ceremony.

She was ordered to stand still as seamstresses fluttered around her like overly anxious butterflies, doing their best not to prick her with their sewing needles as she fidgeted in front of the wall of mirrors she insisted she stand beside.

A wall of mirrors that showed her Wyatt Cain in all his sullen glory, watching her be fitted for a wedding dress she would wear to walk down the aisle to someone who wasn't him.

It was breaking her heart, which meant she was sure it was breaking his.

On the eve on what was to be her wedding day, DG left her room and headed straight for that of her bodyguard.

No one stopped her. Rafe, who was on guard outside her sister's room, inclined his head in acknowledgement, his expression so full of sorrow she felt her heart clench. Her own guard for the evening, Bran, couldn't even look at her.

They all felt useless for being unable to prevent the wedding that awaited her, feeling like failures for being unable to protect her from it. DG understood on one level; on another, she wanted to grab them and shake them and scream that it wasn't their fault.

Just as it wasn't Wyatt's fault, though he was taking it harder than most.

Squaring her shoulders, knowing she had no choice but to do what she had to, she knocked on once on Cain's door before slipping inside.

"You shouldn't be here," Cain told her, though by the way he'd been pacing beside the door, it was clear he'd been expecting her. "You're getting married tomorrow."

"I know." She stepped directly into his path, lifting her arms to rest her hands against his shoulders so he couldn't walk away from her. "That's why I'm here."

His arms slid around her as he sighed, dragging her closer as he let his forehead rest against hers. "I don't know if I can do it, DG. I don't know if I can watch –"

"Then don't," she interrupted, halting his hoarse declaration. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes briefly, fingers flexing as she fought the urge to dig in and hold on tight. "I want you to leave, Wyatt. Go tonight. I don't know where or for how long but you don't need to be here for this. You don't need to watch –"

"You're sending me away?" He exploded, pushing her away so he could resume his pacing. "Really, Deege? What's what it's come to?"

"I don't want you to leave," she told him honestly, watching him helplessly. "But I know how I'd feel if it was the other way around and I won't do that to you, Wyatt. I won't!" Tears stung her eyes but she tried to keep them from falling, wrapping her arms around her waist and holding herself tightly. "It would kill me to watch you marry someone else. I don't want to put you through that."

"Whether I'm here or not, I'll know it's happening," Cain protested. "It won't make it any easier –"

"Won't it? It's one thing knowing, another to have to watch it!" She tightened her arms and watched as he stopped so he could face her. "I don't want you to have to do that. I don't want you to think of that when you think of me."

Cain stilled, his eyes narrowing. "Why would that be what I remember when I think about you? I'm going to be with you, Deege. I'm going to IX with you."

"You can't." She closed her eyes. "Prince Faseem and his advisor won't allow it. They see it as an insult that we don't trust them to see to my safety in their country. You can't come with me, no matter how much we both wish you could."

His reaction should have startled her, maybe even scared her. For some reason, it didn't. She watched as he took his frustration out on the furniture, swiping a useless ornament off the table next to the small sofa in his room and sending it to the floor, shattering into a hundred pieces. She watched as he kicked the sofa, as he paced the room to see what else he could destroy.

She watched, and waited, and was glad she'd cast a silencing spell over the room so the noise within it wouldn't be heard outside.

When he stalked towards her, normally light blue eyes dark with rage and frustration and need, DG didn't flinch. She held herself still and waited for the torrent of emotions he kept such a tight rein on to be released.

When he reached for her, she went willingly.

There was nothing gentle about the way they held each other, kissed each other, claimed each other. It was an act of raw need, of desperation.

Of goodbye.

When DG slipped out of his room in the early hours of the morning on what would be her wedding day, it was with tears in her eye and a pain in her heart that no Viewer could heal.

She stopped short when she saw Jeb standing outside, the younger Cain clearly arguing with himself on whether to go to his father or not. Glancing around to make sure there was no one she didn't trust in the area, DG moved towards him swiftly, keeping her voice soft but urgent. "Get him out of here, Jeb. I don't know where or how but he can't be here for this. I can't do this if I know he's watching. It isn't fair on either of us."

"I can't... I have a job to do, Princess." That he was torn between duty and concern for his father was clear. "My place is here."

"No, your place is with your father, wherever that needs to be." DG drew herself up to her full height, squaring her shoulders as she'd seen her mother do several times. "I will make it an order if it helps, Captain Cain."

"It might," Jeb admitted quietly, sighing as he ran a hand through his already mused hair. He fixed blue eyes so much like his fathers on hers. "He won't like this. He won't go willingly."

"Then you have to make him. You can go and see your grandfather," DG said, inspiration coming to her suddenly. "I know he was invited to join us here but that was before this all happened and we've not heard from him. Take your father and go. Have the reunion you've been putting off because of me. Please, Jeb. If an order won't work, I'll beg."

"You don't have to do that, DG." Jeb took a moment to look around; his men were all carefully not looking at them. On impulse, he reached for DG and hugged her tightly. "I'll try," he promised.

DG nodded, tears stinging her eyes and the lump in her throat making it difficult to speak. "Just take care of him, Jeb. That's all I ask."

Unable to say more, DG broke free from his embrace and fled to her room to watch the twin suns rise through her tears.

*/*


	22. Chapter 22

*/*

Though beautiful, the wedding dress that had been so hastily made was not one she would have chosen. As she stared at her reflection, the seamstresses fluttering around her fussing over folds in the heavy white satin, DG could see herself in the gown she would have chosen for the day ahead, should the groom have been the one she would be pleased to marry.

Satin would be replaced by silk and chiffon, heaviness replaced by light fabric she could breathe in and move in. The long sleeves would disappear, replaced by thin straps. The ornate design and detail within it would give way to simple elegance. There would be no petticoats keeping the skirt flouncing out around her, just a gentle, natural fall of material from her waist to the floor.

A sharp prick and a muttered apology from one of the seamstresses brought her back to the present, to reality.

To the wedding dress fit for a Princess marrying a Prince instead of a Tin Man.

"You look stunning, Your Highness," one of the lady's maids who had come from the palace in Central City with the Council told her, awe on her young face. "So beautiful."

DG didn't acknowledge the compliment. She knew it was a cause of concern to those around her, her continued silence, but she hadn't spoken a word to anyone since Glitch had confirmed that Wyatt and Jeb Cain had left the grounds of Finaqua shortly after sunrise.

It was the last she'd seen of Glitch, which surprised her. She had thought he would be there, advising her on what she should and shouldn't do and say during the ceremony and celebrations afterwards.

Her parents, she understood, were greeting the guests who had arrived for the wedding. She'd heard that those she'd managed to meet during her tour, and those she hadn't, were mostly in attendance. Commander Wynn was there with the Viewer, Gem, Ishta had informed her, pleased to see her father though it had been less than a week since they'd parted company. Lord Tilton, she'd been warned by a decidedly unhappy Rafe, was also in attendance, invited by the Council rather than her parents. Lord and Lady Ashcroft from the East, who she had been due to meet before venturing into Eastern Guild territory were there, along with Duke and Duchess Winters from the South. The munchkins of the Eastern Guild had sent a group of four to represent them and DG was glad they were slighted by her inability to meet with them as planned.

All but Jeb and Cain of the soldiers who'd made up her protection detail would be present, with most of the Royal Guard on duty at the palace to oversee security at the unexpected Royal Wedding.

"DG?" Azkadellia waved her hand in front of her, startling her. Her big sister smiled sadly when DG blinked. "I've been here for five minutes," Azkadellia explained at DG's confused look. "You were miles away."

"Miles would be about right," DG said with a sigh, thinking Cain must be miles away from her by now. She could only hope Jeb had heeded her suggestion and he was on his way to a much deserved reunion with his father, though she regretted that she wouldn't be there to see it herself. "Is it time?"

"Almost." Azkadellia's smile dropped. "You look beautiful, little sister."

"Thank you." DG wouldn't deny that she looked like a Princess should on her wedding day but the feeling inside kept her from feeling anything but numb. "You look lovely, too, Az. I like that colour on you."

Azkadellia's attendant dress was a pale grey-green that shimmered and caught the light as she walked. It was demure and elegant, not at all in the style that the Sorceress had preferred. Knowing that her sister was nervous, that the wedding would be only the second big event that Azkdellia had attended since her freedom from the Witch's possession, DG reached out to take her hands.

Tears filled Azkadellia's dark eyes. "I wish there was a way I could do this for you, DG. I wish I could have convinced them to choose me instead."

"It was always planned to be this way," DG tried to soothe her. "Think about it, Az. The eldest was always going to be the heir so when the contract was agreed, it would've been me in mind. Faraday and Montague might've manipulated the situation to make sure of it to get rid of me but the foundation of the plan has been there for annuals."

"I still don't like it," Azkadellia muttered, taking one of her hands away from DG's so she could wipe away the tear that threatened to fall. "I don't want to lose you when it feels like I've only just got you back."

"You're never going to lose me," DG told her fiercely. "Whether I'm in the OZ, in IX or on the Other Side, I am always going to be your sister and nothing and no one will get between us again. I promise you that," she vowed, her light responding to her emotions, combining with that which flowed in her sister and causing the light between their joined hands to flare.

They stood together for a moment longer, before there was a knock at the door and their father, looking impressive in the dress uniform of the Royal Guard but otherwise appearing pale and unhappy with the situation, entered the room.

"It's time, DG," he told her quietly. His own eyes shining as he looked at his daughters, as if memorising them together for the last time. "They're ready for you."

DG took a deep breath and tried to force a smile for her sister and father. "Then let's get it over with."

*/*

They'd made it as far as the other side of the woodland after the maze when Cain had pulled his horse to a halt, turned it around and stared back in the direction in which they'd come.

"Father?" Jeb pulled his own mount around to stand beside Cain's, unable to hide his concern. "I'd ask if you're okay but I know that's a stupid question."

"She'll have finished getting ready by now," Cain murmured, his expression distant. "The ceremony should be starting soon."

Jeb nodded, having memorised the itinerary. "It's a long ceremony, combining OZ and IX traditions and speeches," he murmured. "I don't envy anyone having to sit through it."

Cain was silent for a long moment. In his mind, he could see her in the dress the seamstresses had made. It was an exquisite gown, intricate. His jaw clenched at the thought of her wearing it for Prince Faseem and not for him.

"It's not too late," Jeb said quietly. "If you've changed your mind, we could go back. We'd make it before they exchange vows."

"And do what? Object to the marriage?" Cain clenched his jaw as he resisted the temptation to do just that. "It would cause a scandal."

"It's going to cause a scandal anyway," Jeb pointed out. "I think the people of the OZ will object more to finding out their beloved Princess, who they've just got back, has been hurriedly married and sent away to IX than realising she's actually in love with a hero of the Eclipse and accepting a former Tin Man as her choice of husband. It might be a scandal to the nobility, Dad, but it's one the Royal Family could survive."

"But the people won't if IX declares war over the contract not being fulfilled," Cain retorted, his voice pained. "That's why she's doing this, Jeb. The OZ isn't strong enough to withstand a declaration of war. She wants to heal the lands and its people. War won't do that."

"We've survived the Witch," Jeb argued. "We'd survive war with IX. I know DG underestimates how important she is to the people of the OZ but I'd thought you knew. My men adore her; they'd willingly fight for her and now, because of what DG's done in recognising them as equals, they'd fight for Azkadellia, too, because it's what DG would want them to do. I've spoken to them, since joining the Royal Guard. The Queen has their loyalty as the reigning monarch but it's DG who's guaranteed it."

Tears stung his eyes but he refused to let them fall. Pride at what DG had achieved, however unknowingly, threatened to swamp him. He hadn't realised the full extent of it, Cain realised, having been so focused on the huge difference she'd made to him and his life. He'd known she was pivotal in winning the hearts of the people as she worked hard to restore the OZ to its former glory but he hadn't noticed to its full extent.

"The people might revolt," he muttered, a sudden thought crystallising in his mind. "If they think the Royal Family haven't tried to prevent this from happening."

"Glitch is aware," Jeb told him quietly. "I don't know if he's told DG yet but he did have a plan for that, if he couldn't come up with a loophole in the marriage contract in time. He was going to get DG to record a message that can be distributed throughout the OZ before her departure, and you know DG would agree to that."

"What do you mean, loophole?" Cain asked, turning slightly in his saddle to face his son. "Glitch thinks there's a way she might be able to get out of this?"

"He was working on something but wouldn't say what in case it didn't come to anything." Jeb sighed heavily. "I'm guessing it didn't, since we're here and DG's..."

"DG's getting married," Cain finished, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. "In a few hours, she'll be his wife."

Jeb couldn't deny it. "You know if she had a choice, she'd be yours."

Cain nodded but didn't speak.

The sound of horse hooves from clearing on the other side of the trees distracted them both from their maudlin thoughts. As one, they turned to face the sound, both reaching for their weapon of choice.

Five men on horseback greeted them; four were strangers, one was not.

Sam Cain drew his mount to a halt, tipped his head back and blinked several times. He shook his head, his hat slightly askew as he stared at them in disbelief.

"Is there a problem, Mister Cain?" One of the riders he was with asked in a thick accent that reminded Cain of the one shared by Prince Faseem and his advisor.

"No problem, gentlemen. I told you we're on the right track." Sam motioned to Cain and Jeb, his eyes never leaving them. "I'm just wonderin' what these two are doing here instead of bein' back in Finaqua with our Princess."

Another man moved his horse forward, a rider who wore a formal uniform that was unpleasantly familiar. "Then we are close to Finaqua. We may yet make it in time."

"Ozma willing, we will, Your Highness," Sam said, bowing his head in respect of the stranger who'd spoken. "Son, Jeb. Allow me to introduce King Tarik of IX; he's here to keep our Princess from making a terrible mistake."

"King Tarik?" Jeb stared at the Royal in surprise. "You're related to Prince Faseem?"

The King's expression darkened. "He is my brother. I fear he is trying to exploit an old marriage contract our parents agreed so that he may marry the Princess DG and use it as a means to remove me from my throne."

"Then the Prince isn't the one named in the contract?" Jeb asked slowly, tearing his gaze from his grandfather to the King of IX. "He's lying?"

"He is. It is I who has a claim to marriage to a Gale daughter," the King confirmed. He caught Cain's glare and the corners of his mouth twitched despite the serious glint in his eyes. "Rest assured, I have no interest in insisting upon that claim. I am married to the only woman who could lay claim to my heart. My brother has been conspiring for many annuals to take the throne from me. He believes that by securing the hero Princess of the OZ as his bride, the people of IX will revolt in his favour. I do not believe it will happen, and I cannot allow our peace treaty with the OZ to be jeopardised because of his foolhardy ambitions. I can only pray that I am not too late."

"It's not too late, Your Highness." Cain turned his horse back around, his heart feeling light and full of hope for the first time in a long time. "We'll get there in time to stop the wedding."

The group set off at speed, with Sam Cain taking up position between his son and grandson. The Cain men were on a mission; their reunion could wait a little longer.

*\\*

Glitch kept looking at the double doors at the end of the aisle, and then back at the Priestess who was conducting the ceremony. It was a little bit distracting to DG, but in a good way, since she was looking for something to distract her from the ceremony that was taking place and the man beside her.

There were so many speeches and readings, so many elements to the ceremony due to the combination of IX and OZ traditions. She couldn't decide if it was a good thing that it seemed to be taking forever or if it was a bad thing and she'd prefer it all to be over and done with so she could find somewhere private to grieve for what could never be.

Prince Faseem's smug smile wasn't helping matters; he didn't appear to be paying much attention to what was being said but was clearly enjoying the attention kneeling at the altar in front of so many prominent Ozians was gaining him.

DG didn't share the love of attention, too conscious of saying or doing something that would offend. She kept her head down but kept glancing at Glitch, at her parents, at Azkadellia and at Raw. She tried not to let herself think about the people who weren't there, the man she'd sent away.

"We will now begin the vows," the priestess declared, motioning for the couple to get to their feet.

DG's legs were unsteady but she managed to get back to her feet, clasping her hands in front of her instead of reaching for those of her husband to be. She faced him, though, as she was meant to do; she just couldn't stand the thought of touching him.

"Princess Dorothy Gale of the House of Gale, please repeat after me," the Priestess began.

It was as far as she got.

The double doors to the grand room hosting the ceremony burst open. DG's breath caught in her throat when she recognised Cain walking alongside another man she didn't know, followed by Jeb and Sam, and three others all wearing a uniform bearing the official crest of IX.

"Brother!" The man striding along the aisle beside Cain called out, his voice echoing around the otherwise deathly silent room. "You commit treason not only against IX but against the people of the OZ!"

Gasps went up around the crowd; DG didn't really notice. She didn't notice her parents get down from their seats on the dais overseeing the ceremony, or Az start to move towards her with Rafe as her shadow. She didn't notice the relief on Glitch's face as he moved to greet the gate crasher.

All she saw was Cain, striding towards her with a look of determination on his face, and the glint of the dagger Prince Faseem unsheathed from the belt at his waist.

Someone cried out a warning; DG didn't think it was herself.

Cain saw the blade and the direction it was heading in towards the man who'd called Faseem brother. He moved instinctively, putting himself between the dagger and the IXan Royal.

DG saw the blade the direction it was heading in towards Cain. She moved instinctively, putting herself between the steel tip and the man she loved.

The pain didn't register at first. She heard screams and shouting and found herself wishing they'd all just shut up so she could work out what was going on. And then she saw the wide-eyed, horrified expression on the face of the man who would be her husband and followed his gaze down to her stomach.

Down to where red blossomed against the white satin of her dress, the stain spreading as blood oozed out from around the blade he'd jabbed into her flesh.

It was then she felt the pain, the dizziness, the beginnings of fear.

Someone screamed her name; it was her mother or sister, she wasn't sure which.

Her knees buckled and the ground started to come up to meet her, but strong arms around her middle kept her from falling all of the way.

"No, DG. Stay with me." Cain's voice was frantic, panicked. His hand felt hot against the cool skin of her forehead. She twisted her head to see the fear in his pale blue eyes and wanted to reassure him but couldn't find her voice. "Raw!" He yelled, not taking his eyes off her, not for a second. "Get over here!"

There were too many people, DG thought, too many trying to get a glimpse of her, trying to help but hindering by getting in the way of the Viewer doing his best to fight the crowd and their emotions so he could reach her side.

Not sure if he would make it in time, feeling the life inside her fade even as her light flared in response and tried valiantly to fight and save her, DG managed to lift a hand to touch Cain's cheek.

"I'm s-sorry." The words were hard to force, her teeth chattering as an unnatural coldness spread over her body. "I love you."

"I love you, too, DG." He grasped her hand with a bloodied one of his own, removing it from her middle as help arrived and someone else started to put pressure over her wound. "Don't leave me," he begged. "Please, Deege. Don't leave me."

She wanted to promise him she'd try, that she'd fight to stay with him.

Darkness rose up and engulfed her before she could.

*/*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um, yeah. I was going to say sorry for leaving it on an angsty note last time but I don't think this one's much better... But rest assured, we're on the homeward stretch with this story so you won't be waiting too long!


	23. Chapter 23

*/*

When she went limp in his arms, Cain felt his heart stop. Everything else going on around them, the alarm and outrage and confusion, faded into nothing.

All he could see was DG lying motionless in his arms; all he could feel was her heavy weight against him as she slipped away.

"Cain must stay calm," Raw informed him, breathless after his fight to get to the fallen princess. "Love for DG grounds her. Must focus on that, and let Raw and Azkadellia do rest."

Only when Raw mentioned the elder Princess did Cain realise she was there, her hands replacing Cain's own over the wound to DG's stomach, sweat beading her brow as she fought to link her light to DG's and keep her with them.

"She's fading, Raw," the elder Princess muttered through gritted teeth. "You need to stop the bleeding."

Raw nodded, his hands moving to the dagger. "Same dagger used to hurt Azkadellia," the Viewer snarled, anger infusing his words. "Meant to bring Princess DG back to palace, not to kill sister." With those words, the Viewer yanked the dagger out and replaced it with his hands. He gasped, his head thrown back as his eyes closed in concentration. "So much magic, so much blood. Not know if can heal."

"I will help." The voice belonged to the Viewer who had aligned herself to the Western Guild, Gem, who knelt beside them and held her hands out over Raw's own. "Raw focus on healing Princess. Gem focus on dark magic."

Cain wasn't sure how long they stayed that way, with him holding DG as the others worked on saving her. He thought about Raw's words and focused on how much he loved the woman in his arms, on how much he had come to need her and want her in his life. He closed his eyes and held her close as he willed her to stay with him, from his heart to hers, mind full of silent promises to love, honour and protect her for the rest of his days if only fate would allow it.

When DG eventually gasped, her eyes fluttering open, he thought it was the sweetest sound he'd ever heard. She looked at the faces around her, clearly confused until her gaze met his. The smile that spread across her face was as slow as it was beautiful, and he found himself leaning into the hand he still pressed against his cheek.

"I felt you," she whispered, her voice hoarse. "All of you, but you and Az most of all." She coughed a little, pushing herself up so she could get more air into her lungs.

Cain moved with her, supporting her, unwilling to get her go even for a second. "Marry me," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her palm.

He had the pleasure of seeing her eyes widen in surprise. "Really?"

"Marry me," he repeated, his eyes searching hers. "Here and now, DG. Marry me."

The smile that played around on her lips was thoughtful, a little wistful. "Can we do that?"

"Everyone's already here," Azkadellia chimed in, an exhausted but relieved smile on her face. "And there's a five course meal being prepared in the kitchens. It'd be a shame to let it go to waste."

"We'd have to do something again later, for the people of the OZ," DG murmured, her gaze uncertain as it returned to Cain's. "You'd be marrying a princess, Wyatt. Attention's not something we could avoid."

"I don't care as long as I'm with you." He meant it, too. Having come so close to losing her, he was willing to put up with whatever he had to as long as they could be together.

"Okay," DG said slowly, the smile growing wider. She tore her gaze from his to look around, fixing on the faces of her parents, of Jeb and Glitch. Seeing what she needed to in their expressions, she gave a small nod and glanced at him again. "You're going to need another shirt."

He looked down and wished he hadn't; his shirt was as stained as her dress, and he didn't want to think about the reminder at how close he'd come to losing her. "You're going to need another dress."

DG looked at her sister and smiled. "I think we can manage that. Now help me up." She struggled to get to her feet under her own weight, relying heavily on Cain to get her up and keep her there. Once she was standing, she reached for Azkadellia, clutching her sister's offered arm tightly as she wavered on her feet. "I'll see you in a little while, General Cain," she promised, her face pale but her eyes bright. "I'll be the one in white walking down the aisle."

His heart skipped a beat at the image and Cain swallowed the lump that rose in his throat. "I'll be the one waitin' at the altar, Princess."

With a final brilliant smile, DG was led away by her mother and sister to quickly get ready for the wedding she should have had.

*/*

They opted to keep the ceremony short, for DG's benefit more so than the curious guests who were mostly confused by the proceedings. Prince Faseem and his advisor were secured by lock and key as well as a spell Azkadellia had volunteered to cast. There would be no escape for either of them this time, nor would there be any interruptions to her sister's wedding.

The dress DG wore when she appeared at the end of the aisle was the opposite of the gown she'd worn for the would-be wedding to Prince Faseem. It was still beautiful and, to Cain's eyes, the simple style suited her far more than the dress that had been made for a princess. This one was all DG, and as that was who he was marrying, he was glad for it.

From the moment he saw her to the moment he took her hand to place the ring his father had given him on her finger, Cain couldn't pull his gaze away. DG held his gaze the entire time so he was reasonably sure she felt the same way.

They were lost in each other, in the moment that was meant just for the two of them, and when the Priestess declared them husband and wife, Cain finally felt for the first time since Zero had led the Longcoats to his door that everything was going to be okay.

The moment he could take her in his arms and kiss her as her husband would be one of those he treasured for the rest of his life, a declaration to all in attendance that she was his as much as he was undeniably hers.

The crowd cheered as they turned to face them, Cain's arm securely around DG's shoulders. Though she smiled and waved, he could tell by the way she leaned in to him that the events of the day were taking their toll and she didn't have much in the way of energy left. As quickly as he could, he led her back up the aisle after her parents, who proudly led the way, and into a small room to the side of the ballroom where the rest of the celebrations would be held.

"Are you okay?" He asked her quietly, his hands resting on her hips as he moved to stand in front of her.

DG nodded, her smile tired. She leaned forward just enough to rest her head against his shoulder. "I'm feeling pretty good considering I almost married someone who then tried to kill me." She lifted her head to look at him. "You came back to me."

"I didn't get very far," he admitted, his grip tightening. "And then my father turned up, leading King Tarik here..." He shrugged, then sighed. "I should never have left you, DG. I shouldn't have let you send me away."

"You had to. I couldn't..." She shook her head. "I wouldn't have been able to walk down the aisle towards him if I'd known you were there."

"It would've been better if you hadn't," Cain murmured, closing his eyes against the memory of her falling, blood blossoming against the front of her dress. "Gods, DG, he could've killed you. What were you thinking?"

"That if I didn't get in the way, he was going to kill you." She smiled when he opened his eyes to look at her. "You were so intent on protecting King Tarik, Wyatt, you didn't even think about putting yourself between them. It would have killed me if you died."

"So you almost die yourself. That's logical." Cain rolled his eyes but couldn't keep his lips from twitching as she shrugged. "You're one of a kind, DG."

She smiled, pleased even though she wasn't sure it was entirely a compliment. "And that's why you love me, General Cain."

"It's one of the many reasons," he agreed, the smile breaking out across his face as he continued. "Mrs Cain."

Her smile grew, her eyes brightening at her new title. "I like hearing that."

"Good," he murmured, leaning in to kiss her softly; he had every intention of reminding her she was his wife at every opportunity.

"Ahem." They turned as one to see Glitch standing in the doorway, the advisor grinning despite his embarrassment at interrupting. "Your guests are waiting in the ballroom."

"Glitch." DG broke away from Cain and walked on slightly unsteady legs towards her friend. She reached out to hug him tightly. "Thank you. I don't know what you did or how you did it, but thank you."

"Aw, Doll." Glitch hugged her back, his grin growing wider. "I didn't do much, really. Just thought it was odd the letters from Prince Faseem weren't taking long enough to be coming from IX. I'm glad the King got my letter and got here so fast, though I don't know how he did that."

"He was already on his way here after his brother," Cain supplied, walking towards them. He'd heard the whole story on the frantic ride back to Finaqua and he, too, knew he had Glitch to thank for the happy turn of events. "I owe you one, Headcase," he said, holding out his hand for Glitch.

As the two men shook hands, DG left Glitch's arms to return to those of her new husband, wrapping her arm around Cain's waist as she leaned into him. "Do we have to stay for the whole thing? I know the original plan was for it to last till the small hours but..."

"I think they'll be understanding if you need to leave early," Glitch told her quietly. His own eyes were tormented as he glanced from her to Cain and back. "You did almost die on us, DG. Your husband here isn't the only one you gave quite the scare to."

"I'm sorry," DG murmured, lowering her gaze.

"I know." Glitch sighed and shook his head. When she looked back up at him, he gave her a lopsided grin. "You wouldn't be you if you didn't go charging in trying to save everybody. It's why we all love you so much. Now, General, Princess, your wedding banquet awaits."

Arm in arm, they followed Glitch through to the ballroom where their guests rose from their seats to welcome them. It took a little longer than usual for them to make their way to their seats at the head table, DG trying not to make it obviously how much she was leaning on Cain while he tried to support her and get her to her chair as quickly as possible.

When they were seated, with Jeb at Cain's left and Sam beside him, and Azkadellia at DG's right, with their parents beside her, Ahamo rose from his seat further along the table to toast them.

"My friends," he began, "though we are gathered here to celebrate a very different union to that in which we'd anticipated, I am sure you will all agree that this is a far happier occasion than expected. Today we witness the joining of my youngest daughter to a man she loves, who I am in no doubt loves her. As a father, I couldn't have asked for anything more for my daughter. As it's been quite a trying day, I'll keep this short, but will ask you all to raise your glasses and join me in a toast to the bride and groom. To DG and Wyatt, may you live a long and happy life together."

"To DG and Wyatt," the crowd chorused.

DG felt herself blush but smiled as she was meant to, leaning in to Cain's shoulder as he took a drink from his own glass. Under the table, he wrapped his leg around hers, the light pressure a comfort to them both.

*\\*


	24. Chapter 24

*\\*

It was in no way the wedding night she'd anticipated but was far better than the one she'd been dreading. Though she was too tired to do much of anything, DG delighted in curling up against Cain after they climbed into bed, listening to the steady sound of his heartbeat beneath her ear. His arm was a comforting weight over her waist, keeping her grounded, holding her close.

She thought back to the previous night, the night she'd thought would be their last together. She smiled remembering it, her heart warmed by the certainty that there would be many more of them.

Elsewhere in the palace, the party continued with her parents as hosts. Azkadellia had retired at the same time as Cain and DG, claiming the day's events had tired her out, too, but DG suspected part of it was her sister's reluctance to be around so many people when she didn't know how they felt about her.

They'd managed to stay until after the meal, sticking it out for their first dance and then a couple of others with close friends and family. While DG had been whisked around the dancefloor by her father, Jeb, Sam and Glitch, she'd watched Cain dance with her mother and sister before he'd retreated to the side-lines to speak with his father and son, their family reunion finally complete.

Once Glitch had returned her to her husband, Cain had decided it was time for them to withdraw for the evening, no doubt because she was struggling to stand on her own two feet and even leaning against him was becoming too much for her. Her eyes kept trying to close of their own accord and as much as she insisted there were people she wanted to see and speak to, Cain insisted.

It was telling that she didn't argue, and instead let him sweep her out of the room after they'd said goodnight to their families. Now, curled up against him, DG had to agree he'd made the right call.

"'m sorry this isn't much of a wedding night," she yawned against him, tilting her head back just enough to see his face. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

The look on his face could only be described as affectionate. "It's perfect the way it is. You're here, DG. That's all I could ask for."

She smiled and let her cheek rest against his chest again, reaching for his hand to lace their fingers together. "I know I said it before, but I do love you, Wyatt Cain."

"I love you, DG Cain," he returned, lifting their hands to his lips so he could press a kiss to her knuckles. "Now go to sleep, Princess. We've got a busy day making small talk with people we don't know ahead of."

She snorted but only because it was true. Letting her body settle against him, she sighed as his warmth chased away the residual traces of the chill she'd felt since her brush with death.

*/*

The following week was indeed full of days making small talk with their esteemed guests. Although she'd rather spend the days after her wedding alone with her new husband, DG managed to find the silver lining in the situation she was. She was pleased to get the opportunity to meet with those she'd been unable to, more so because she had her sister at her side and Azkadellia couldn't think of a reason not to be there.

On the last day, before their guests would take their leave and allow the Royal Family a day or two alone before they, too, left Finaqua for the city, Cain, Jeb, Glitch and Rafe accompanied the women out onto the lawns of the palace beside the lake but were drawn into conversations of their own. DG couldn't decide whether to be amused or irritated by the segregation between men and women in upper society when there wasn't a formal event but, since it benefited her plans, she was willing to allow it rather than challenge the old tradition immediately.

She spent an hour entertaining the children that had accompanied their parents to the wedding, tag-teaming with Azkadellia to perform little feats of magic that weren't anything amazing but which kept the children enthralled. As her sister laughed and relaxed for the first time in a long time, DG quietly excused herself to join their mothers, who were watching their antics with apprehension they couldn't quite hide.

"She's good with them," Lady Ashcroft murmured, a soft smile on her face as she watched the elder Princess laugh and smile with the circle of youngsters sat around her, clamouring for her attention.

"She is. She's good with most people if they don't judge her." There was only the slightest rebuke in DG's tone and it wasn't aimed at the woman who had started to speak. "She isn't the person some think she is. There isn't an evil bone in my sister's body and it's about time everyone started to recognise that."

"You're very protective of her." It was the wife of the dignitary representing Quadling country from the South who spoke, a quiet woman called Elsbeth, who DG suspected listened and watched everything going on so she could report back to her husband.

"I am, and I make no apology for that." DG met her gaze evenly. "It was Az's protectiveness of me that got her taken by the Witch. I owe her."

Lady Ashcroft clucked her tongue in disagreement. "I'm not so sure your sister would agree. She's just as protective as you. I see it all the time with my two," she continued, her gaze shifting to her children, two boys, sitting enraptured by the elder Daughter of Light's simple display of magic. "But it's almost as if you're the oldest of the two. You have a certainty, an assuredness that your sister is lacking."

"In a lot of ways, I am the eldest. Not physically, obviously." DG shrugged and followed Lady Ashcroft's gaze though focused on her sister instead of the children around her. There was a childlike wonder to Azkadellia's expression, a delighted quality that made her look so much younger. "Az was still a child when the Witch took her; everyone seems to forget that. She was on the cusp of womanhood, yes, but she wasn't quite there. It's like time stopped for her and she's having to go through that now, even though she's by no means a teenager anymore."

"And what about you? You don't believe you deserve the same degree of understanding that you ask for for your sister," Elsbeth observed.

"I had my teenage years, regrettably for the most part. I wouldn't thank anyone for asking me to relive them." DG laughed a little but if any of the women sitting with her knew her, they'd hear the slight bitterness to it. "I remember being awkward and clumsy, a little bit on the weird side, very gawky... So pretty much how I am now, really. Here's hoping I grow out of it soon."

The women she was with laughed, as she'd intended. DG smiled along with them, her gaze shifting from her sister to the lake beyond. The conversation began to flow more easily, turning to topics that were less intrusive and more welcome for the majority of the women present.

It didn't matter, though. She'd planted the seed she'd need to, subtly prompted their view of her sister to shift. All they needed to do was mention it to their husbands, speak of the way their children were so taken with the older Princess and what remained of the doubts they harboured towards Azkadellia would hopefully begin to thaw.

*/*

"That was nicely done, Princess." Cain fell into step with her as she and Azkadellia parted ways later in the afternoon. "Very impressive."

She glanced at him but averted her gaze quickly. "I'm sure I don't know what you're referring to, General Cain."

"And I'm sure that you do." He nodded to the guards who stood outside of what was now their suite, effectively dismissing them as he opened the door for her himself.

Once she'd entered, he followed and closed the door behind them. He locked it instinctively, though the flutter of static over his skin told him she'd shielded them and the room they were in with her magic and assured him they wouldn't be overheard or disturbed without warning. He wondered if she'd noticed it was something she did automatically whenever they entered a room alone together, almost entirely without thought.

She led the way into her bedroom, where he again closed the doors behind them and turned the lock on the door out of habit. Finally alone, just the two of them, he stood back and watched as his DG slowly began to emerge from behind the mask she wore all day for everyone else.

The shoes were kicked off first, small heels she endured because it was expected of her but which she'd trade for her beaten up sneakers at any opportunity. Next, she started to remove the pins keeping her hair in its intricate style, soft curls falling to frame her face and bounce around her shoulders as they were freed from confinement.

That was fast becoming one of his favourite parts of the routine, and he moved behind her as usual to assist in removing those that she couldn't reach. He ran his fingers through her hair, feeling the soft strands run through his fingers like water. When he was sure all the pins were gone, he massaged her scalp with just the right amount of pressure from his fingertips, earning a groan of appreciation from her.

"I can't wait until tomorrow morning when the last of them leaves," DG admitted, her eyes slipping closed as she gave herself over to his ministrations. "Do you think anyone else would mind if we just shut ourselves in our room all day?"

"I think they'd understand it if we did," he murmured, continuing his massage of her scalp. "If we didn't have to go back to Central City, I'd suggest we find somewhere to hole up for a week, but I know that's not going to happen."

"Not straight away," she agreed reluctantly. "We have to go back and be there when they formally announce our marriage, for starters. That's going to be fun."

Thinking of the public appearances Glitch and the Queen were already arranging for them, Cain stifled a groan. It wasn't what he would have chosen but he accepted it as part and parcel of his life with DG; if it was what he had to do to be with her, then he'd do it without complaint. Well, he'd try not to complain too much; he couldn't promise there wouldn't be a bit of grousing here and there.

But there was a difference, he thought to himself, about being the husband of a Princess and the Consort to a Queen.

"Deege, there's something we need to talk about." He dropped his hands from her hair to her shoulders, lifting them as she turned to face him only to settle them on her hips. "Has Azkadellia said anything to you about stepping down and abdicating her claim on the throne?"

A frown flickered across her face, her dark gaze momentarily troubled. "She said she wasn't sure she wanted to be Queen, that she didn't think the people would accept her. That's why I've been doing all of this, to show her as much as them that she's more than worthy of taking over from our mother." Her eyes narrowed. "Why? What have you heard?"

"Nothing definite," he answered with a sigh. "But Glitch said a couple of things that made me wonder. You know how your father made me General and Troop Commander?" DG nodded, her brow furrowed. "They're titles usually reserved for the Consort, DG. By doing that, he appointed me as his successor."

"But he didn't know we were together then," DG pointed out, her frown growing deeper. "Why would he do that?"

"To pave the way for this, for us, I'm guessing. So the Council and anyone else wouldn't object to you choosing me should you get the chance to." It was a hugely flattering thought, though the consequences of it were troubling. "But it begs the question of what he intends to do when Azkadellia chooses to marry. If she does take the throne, her husband would be entitled to the titles he bestowed on me. Not that I'd object to anyone taking them, to be honest."

"There's no one better qualified to command the troops," DG objected, her expression thoughtful. "Maybe that's what my father was thinking. You're a hero of the eclipse and a Tin Man, the people love you for that. And your experience in the resistance gives you the knowledge needed to command should the Royal Army be needed." She smiled when he looked uncomfortable at the praise. "What was Glitch saying about Az? Does he think she's going to abdicate?"

"He doesn't know for certain but I believe Az might have asked him what would happen if she did. Interestingly," he added, quirking an eyebrow. "Your sister does seem to have had a couple of conversations with Rafe on the subject. If anyone knows what she's thinking, other than you, I'd say he's the one who might be able to say."

"Rafe?" A small, speculative smile arranged her lips. She'd come to think of her former guard as her sister's new shadow; since she'd asked him to take over as lead on Azkadellia's security detail, she hadn't seen him venture far from her sister's side. Though she'd thought it was just Rafe being dedicated to his duty, she now wondered if there was something more to it. Her sister definitely seemed to be smiling more freely these days, though she'd put that down to relief at neither of them needing to marry the very happily married King of IX or his scheming brother. "That would be interesting."

"Interesting's one word for it," Cain agreed. "He didn't seem convinced she's going to be Queen, though."

What would happen if Azkadellia did step down hung between them.

DG stilled under his hands and he felt the tension rise in her slender frame. She was unaware of the way she stood straighter, her shoulders going back, her head tilting just so her chin was at an angle.

A very regal angle, he mused. Very Queen-like.

"If that was to happen," DG started, her voice quiet and eyes intent on his. "If you were to find yourself married to the Queen of the Oz, how would you feel?"

Cain was quiet for a long moment, knowing he had to choose his words carefully. He knew DG, and remembered all too well that it was her fear of trapping him that had caused her to send him away from her all those cycles ago. It was what she feared most, making him unhappy, forcing a life he didn't want in the public eye on him. It was bad enough when she was a Princess of the realm, a representative of the Crown and therefore required to fulfil certain duties and obligations.

As Queen, it would be worse. Their lives would rarely be their own; every decision, every argument, every moment they had outside of the four walls of their rooms would be observed and speculated on, shared not only with the palace staff but those at court and the people as a whole.

It was his idea of a living hell in a lot of ways. But in others...

"I wouldn't be married to the Queen of the OZ," he said eventually, holding her gaze. "I would be married to DG Cain, my wife and the woman I love. So I'd feel exactly as I do now, damn lucky to have her and determined to keep her safe so we can keep that promise of growing old together."

She looked at him a moment longer before a smile broke out across her face. It was part shy, part relieved. Her shoulders sagged and she lifted her arms to wrap them around his neck, drawing him down to her for a searing kiss. "Then it doesn't matter what Az decides."

"It doesn't?" Cain asked, hands slipping from her hips to the small of her back, pressing her closer. "How would you feel about it?"

"I'll do what I have to do." She shrugged as if the burdens that she sometimes had to carry because of her title and her family didn't bother her when he knew that sometimes they did. "As long as it doesn't mean I lose you, I'll live with it," she continued seriously. "But if I had to choose between the throne and you, I don't think I could do it. I have a duty to my people, Wyatt, whether I'm Princess or Queen, and I understand that. But now that I have you, that I know what we have is real and isn't all just a daydream of mine..." Her voice trailed off and she shrugged a shoulder. "If Az and my mother offered me the throne tomorrow, I'm not sure I could accept it if it meant losing you. I know that's selfish of me but –"

His lips against hers cut her off mid-sentence. He made a silent promise to himself that she would never be put in that position of choosing between him and her people, their people. No matter what happened, he would be at her side supporting her however she needed him to.

"You're never going to lose me," he promised when they parted, his voice low. "Through thick and thin, hard times and good, we're in this together now. No matter what."

"No matter what," DG repeated, her hand resting at the back of his neck applying a gentle pressure to encourage him to dip down again so she could claim his lips. "Think anyone would notice if we didn't turn up to dinner?"

He smirked at the suggestion in her darkened eyes, bent slightly at the knees so he could scoop her up into his arms and carry her towards their bed. "If we didn't turn up at all, maybe. Don't think anyone would bat an eyelid if the newlyweds were a little late, though."

DG's laugh was quickly cut off by his mouth on hers, all worries about what the future held temporarily put on hold as they focused on the here and now.

*\\*


	25. Chapter 25

*\\*

They made it back to Central City without incident and had been there almost a week when a pounding on the door to their rooms disturbed a rare lie in for the newest royal couple. DG groaned and muttered something under her breath about banishing the guilty culprit to Munchkin territory, pulling the blankets over her head even as Cain deftly rolled out of bed, reaching for his clothes.

"Give us a minute, for Ozma's sake," Cain grumbled, hurriedly getting dressed. He was fastening his holster even as he made it to the door, unlocking it and swinging it open to greet the messenger with a glare.

"Sorry, General Cain." Bran stood to attention, all traces of his usual amusement gone from his expression. That spoke volumes to Cain as to the seriousness of the problem even before the soldier could continue. "The Queen and Consort request you and Princess DG join them in the conference room as soon as possible."

"We'll be there in five minutes," Cain told him curtly. He closed the door and turned towards the bedroom, only to find DG standing in the doorway, wrapped in a sheet. Her hair was a mess but there was no trace of sleepiness in her suddenly sharp eyes. "Better get dressed, Deege."

She nodded and turned back into the bedroom. He followed at a slower pace, only needing to visit the bathroom and find his socks and shoes. He finished getting ready quickly and sat on the edge of their bed, watching with the same fascination as always as the transformation took place.

His DG slowly disappeared behind the mask of Princess Royal, the polished façade becoming easier for her to slip into the more she did it. Before she could tie back her hair, he surged to his feet and covered the distance between them. The quick action startled her enough that she turned away from the mirror to face him, which gave him ample opportunity to thread his fingers through her hair, grasping her head as he kissed her deeply and thoroughly. He was rewarded by her sagging against him, her own hands clutching at his vest as she returned his ardour.

When he pulled back, he was satisfied to see her eyes were a little dazed, her lips swollen.

His DG stared at him for a moment, a small smile turning up the corners of her mouth as she turned away from him to finish getting ready.

It might not have been much but at least some of the tension in her small frame was gone, and they were reminded that whatever waited for them in the conference room was something they would face together.

They walked hand in hand to the conference room, neither caring that there were some older members of the staff and others at Court who would see the contact as being overly affectionate to be demonstrated in public. DG had laughed when she'd first heard such an innocent gesture could be deemed scandalous and ever since then had initiated some kind of physical contact with him every time they were walking together. She liked to show her affection, not just for him but for her friends, and could often be seen linking arms with Glitch or Raw, though Cain had noticed she had stopped with the spontaneous hugs when there were other people around.

With him, though, she'd often take his hand or lace her arm through his, sometimes rising on her toes to brush her lips against his cheek or whisper something in his ear, uncaring of what anyone who saw them thought or felt about it. For himself, he found he appreciated the little gestures and found the constant touches reassuring.

After so long being without physical contact, he found he shied away from it when it came to most people but couldn't get enough of the sensation when it was DG and was free himself when it came to bestowing affection on Jeb, with a frequent hand on his son's shoulder or occasional one-armed hug if the situation called for it.

Her parents weren't alone in the conference room, and Cain watched as DG squared her shoulders as she moved slowly towards her designated seat. He followed, pulling the chair out for her before taking the seat beside her. He took her hand when she moved to take hers, putting on a united front as they faced the Queen and Consort, the Queen's advisors, Jeb, Azkadellia and Rafe.

"My darling," the Queen began, her own hand wrapped in Ahamo's as he looked grave-faced beside her. "I am afraid there's been an unfortunate development with Duke Montague and Count Faraday."

"Formerly known as," DG interjected, an eyebrow arched. "They were stripped of their titles."

"They were," the Queen confirmed, a sliver of a satisfied smile on her face before it died in an instant. "They haven't taken kindly to it, DG. They released a statement, entirely unauthorised but doctored to hold the Royal seal, at some stage either late last night or early this morning. It's been delivered to every town, village and city in the country."

"What kind of statement?" Cain felt something settle in his stomach, his gaze flicking from the royal couple to his son. Cold fury flashed in Jeb's eyes, his jaw clenched as he fought to control his temper.

"It might be best if you read it," Ahamo told him, and slid a piece of paper across the table towards them.

Cain reached for it and placed it on the table in between himself and DG so they could both read it.

His eyes went flat and he felt chilled as he read the words distributed throughout the realm by the disgraced nobles. Poison dripped from every sentence, condemnation of DG oozing from every letter on the paper.

In their statement, they blamed her for everything. For the Witch's release, for the Queen giving up her light and therefore being unable to fight the Sorceress when she used Azkadellia to seize the throne. They depicted her as a spoilt, selfish brat whose childish tantrums had distracted the Queen and Consort from realising Azkadellia was possessed until it was too late. They described her as being unruly and uncaring for anyone but herself, returning to the OZ not as a hero but as a threat to everything any decent OZian should hold dear. Decorum, propriety, the very fabric of their society was all at risk, they alleged, because of the so-called Slipper Princess and her Other Side ways of doing things. She was inappropriate and unwilling to compromise and, they continued, was the cause of every ounce of suffering to befall their glorious realm since the day of her birth. She was punishment personified and, they urged, needed to be dealt with swiftly.

"How do they propose they deal with me?" DG wondered aloud, eerily calm as she sat back in her seat. To the others in the room, she continued. "What do you think they hope to achieve by releasing this?"

"At best, they want to discredit you in the eyes of the people," Glitch answered when none of the other advisors would speak up. "They don't like how popular you've become, DG. It's a threat to their way of life."

"Their way of life is over, and that's not because I want to win some damn popularity contest." DG ignored those in the room who winced at her words. "For too long now, the people of the OZ have suffered while idiots like Montague, Faraday and Tilton have prospered. I'm sorry, Mom, but it's true, and it goes back to before the Witch rose to power."

"I won't disagree with you, my angel." The Queen smiled wanly. "I am afraid I was allowed myself to be unduly influenced for some annuals before the Sorceress took power."

"You were trying to be a mother and a Queen," Ahamo soothed her. "It was no easy task, my love. You are supposed to have advisors you can trust to aid you in the running of the country." This was said with a steely glance around the table at those advisors who had had the chance to stand up to Faraday and Montague but hadn't taken it, opting instead for an easier life.

All men, DG noted speculatively. There were no females on her mother's council, other than the Queen herself.

"At worst?" Cain interjected before she could give voice to her realisation. "You said that was best case scenario, Glitch."

There was an uncomfortable silence around the table. Her parents exchanged a look, Azkadellia bowed her head. Rafe, he noted, moved discreetly forward to set a comforting hand on the shoulder of the elder Princess.

"At worst, General Cain," the elderly Lord Gentry spoke when no one else seemed inclined to, "they wish to inspire an uprising amongst the people against Princess DG. Our sources indicate they wish to see her tried for treason against the OZ for releasing the Witch and condemning the Princess Azkadellia to her possession."

A sob escaped Azkadellia and she covered her face with her hands.

DG fought the urge to get up and comfort her sister, rewarding Rafe and Raw, who sat at Azkadellia's side, with a grateful smile when they reached out for her instead.

Cain went still in his chair, the icy fist of fear clenching around his heart. An uprising would see the end of Queen Lavender's reign, possibly the end of the House of Gale. A trial for treason against the people, if supported by them, would result in a death sentence. He tightened his grip on DG's hand and was immediately soothed by a flutter of her magic over his skin, a spell meant to reassure and calm.

"Has there been any indication of a response from the people?" DG asked quietly, the only one in the room apparently unaffected by the grave announcement, which was unthinkable given she was the one it was about. "Do we know what their thoughts on it are?"

"It's too early to say," Duke Reed answered stiffly. "I say we make it known how Faraday and Montague betrayed both yourself and your mother, Princess DG. It must be known that they have fallen from grace and therefore have personal motivation for releasing this statement."

"And it will be, but not yet," DG assured, glancing at her mother for approval.

The Queen inclined her head slightly. "Go on, DG. You have more right than I or anyone else to decide how we proceed with this."

Cain sat up straighter in his chair, his eyes narrowing at the Queen and Consort. That was too easy, he suspected, the passing of power from mother to daughter. Though he didn't doubt the statement had been released to their people, he knew it wasn't the usual order of business for anyone other than the Queen to chair the briefing and make the decisions. He couldn't decide if it was her mother's way of apologising to DG for failing to prevent it, or if it was a test of her youngest daughter's ability to make decisions on matters of state befitting of the monarchy.

"Thank you, Your Highness." DG recognised it, too, he realised, or at least part of it. "We will, in time, release a statement of our own explaining the circumstances surrounding their removal from the Council," DG said, appeasing those who had made sounds of agreement with Reed's suggestion. "But for now, we wait." She paused until they all settled again, some members grumbling their surprise at her words. "I want to see what the reaction to it is," she said softly, her hand gripping Cain's in the way her mother's had gripped her fathers. "I want to know what the people really think. It's the truth, after all." She lifted her other hand to silence the protests that immediately began to be muttered. "There's no denying it. Maybe it's not true to the extent that they're implying but I want the people to know the truth about what happened that day. I want them to know it was me and not Azkadellia that released the Witch. I want them to know that if they're still harbouring any hatred or resentment towards her that they're aiming it at the wrong sister."

"But it was me who did all those things," Azkadellia cried, lifting her head to meet DG's gaze across the table. "It was my hands, DG. My magic she twisted."

"But they weren't your actions, Az. They were hers, and releasing her was mine." DG let the words hang between them. "You have to forgive yourself, my sister. You don't need forgiveness from anyone else."

"The same could be said about you, DG." This from the man beside her, who wore her ring as proudly as she wore his. "If the people forgive you, will you forgive yourself?"

She smiled softly, more than a little sadly. "We keep having this conversation, Wyatt. I feel like we're going round in circles sometimes."

"We're going to keep having it until you can answer yes to that question, Princess." After holding her gaze for a moment, he turned his attention back to the others. "When can we expect to start hearing back from the people? What have you got in place to monitor their reactions?"

"We've got scouts going out around the country," Jeb informed them solemnly. "Their orders are to gauge the responses of the people and send back regular reports. If it looks like the people are turning against DG, we'll act on it."

"Act on it?" DG repeated. "You mean you'll try and stop them if they decide they need to form a rebellion of their own?" Her slight smile took the sting off her words. "I appreciate the sentiment, Jeb, but I don't want any harm coming to anyone. Not on my account."

"Ozma willing, it won't come to that, Princess." He made no promises that no one would, though. DG sighed and sat back in her chair. "Is that all you wanted to share with us? I have a visit scheduled at the hospital –"

"All visits are cancelled until further notice," Glitch interrupted before Cain could, spotting the argument brewing and hoping he could intervene before it happened. "I'm sorry, Princess, I know you're disappointed but we can't take any risks with your safety. Your apologies have been sent to the hospital administrator along with a promise that we will rearrange at a later date."

"I don't want to rearrange," DG said, her voice dangerously calm. "I want to go ahead as I promised I would. It's been three cycles since I was last there and I want to make sure the promise I kept to help them upgrade has been kept."

"There's a report on the desk in your office that assures you it has," Glitch returned, Ambrose rising to the surface in response to her tone. "This is not up for discussion, Princess. It has been agreed –"

"Agreed by whom? I don't remember being consulted in the decision and as it concerns me, I really think I should have been."

Her light flared to her fingertips but Cain didn't think she realised it. Given the matching glare on Glitch's face, he didn't think the former Headcase had, either.

"Give it a day or two," Cain intervened, appreciating that it would be himself DG was arguing with if Glitch hadn't stepped in. "Let the dust settle, then we'll go to the hospital for your visit. Your safety is paramount, Princess," he added, his voice taking on a hard edge when it looked like she was going to protest. "There's no ifs and buts about this. We're not taking any risks with your safety and that's not up for discussion."

"Are you speaking as my husband or as the General?" DG asked, tilting her head to the side.

"As both," he confirmed, taking her hand and lifting it to his lips for a kiss. "I won't risk losing you, DG. You can't ask me to do that."

Her expression softened and her light receded. "I won't. But two days, Wyatt. If there's no indication it would be unsafe for me to visit, I'm going to."

"Agreed, though we'll discuss the details of your security later," he added, seeing Jeb nod out of the corner of his eye. "Was there anything else, Your Majesties?"

From the way her parents exchanged a look, he knew that there was. As Azkadellia bowed her head, he realised what it would be.

"I'm not sure if now is the right time," Ahamo began. "This statement came as quite a shock to us, but we had been planning to meet with you sooner rather than later, though perhaps not with the Council as an audience."

"The decision remains," Queen Lavender said softly, glancing at Azkadellia for confirmation. "We can delay the announcement but not the request."

"What request?" DG's hand tightened over Cain's again. "Please. Just say it, Mom."

It was Azkadellia who answered, her voice trembling in the silence of the room. "I can't be Queen, DG. I just can't do it. I'm stepping down, abdicating my claim on the throne, if you'll accept the title of successor and heir instead."

If.

The choice was hers, though both she and Cain knew it was no choice at all.

She either chose to say no, forcing her sister into a title she was unwilling and perhaps unable to carry, a role with responsibilities that could shatter the already fragile princess.

Or she could say yes, and say goodbye to her dreams of a quieter life, a secondary supporting role to the crown and not have to make the sometimes difficult decisions bestowed upon the reigning monarch.

"You don't have to decide now, my angel." Her mother's smile was unsteady, worry for the future of the country in her eyes. "There's time –"

"I'll do it on one condition," DG spoke up, feeling Cain tense beside her.

"And what would that be, Spitfire?" Her father asked with interest.

"That we wait and see what the people think about the statement before it's formalised," DG answered. She looked to her sister, one shoulder rising and falling in a helpless shrug. "I'm sorry I can't accept straight away, Az, but if I'm going to do it, I need to know the decision won't start another war. The OZ and its people have suffered enough."

Her sister gave a small nod of agreement.

"If that's everything?" DG waited until there was a hum of affirmation from around the table. Sensing her need to get away, Cain stood and pulled her chair back for her, offering her his arm as soon as she was standing.

Instead of heading for their suite, Cain directed them to the library. It wasn't as much of a comfort for DG as the library in Finaqua but he knew it was one of her preferred rooms in the palace. They settled quietly on one of the window seats overlooking the city, with DG resting against him as she stared out through the glass panes to the world outside, wondering what the response would be.

It was what she wanted, really, for the truth to be known. She'd just always wanted to be able to tell it in her own words.

They were both aware of being joined in the room by their nearest and dearest, the Queen and Ahamo being the only exceptions. Azkadellia arrived first with Rafe two steps behind her, gravitating towards her sister for comfort and reassurance as they waited. She sat on one of the loveseats in the library, a book she couldn't focus on in her hands.

Raw and Glitch followed not long after, both needing to be near the princess who'd come to mean so much to them both. Having been with her when she'd remembered the truth and realised her role in the Witch's rise to power, they shared her apprehension about what the truth could do to their newly reunited OZ.

Jeb joined them a little later in the day, his duties keeping him tied up longer than he'd have liked. He met his father's gaze as he took a seat at the long wooden table, a silent acknowledgement that no matter what happened, his loyalty was with his family.

Ishta accompanied him, the woman warrior aware of the situation and, DG would later learn, having offered to track down and kill the disgraced nobles who betrayed the princess so badly.

One by one, the guards who had travelled with DG on her short-lived tour and had heard the true story from her own lips as she'd recounted it to those they'd met along the way joined them in the library. Some were on breaks, they claimed, others were just doing their jobs.

Though DG didn't say it outright, she appreciated their silent support as she curled up against her husband, and waited.

*/*

The Western Guild were the first to respond, followed closely by the Eastern Guild, the Southern Guild and the Northern Guild. Representatives from all had been present at DG and Cain's unexpected wedding and had had the opportunity to meet with and talk with the youngest princess.

Their statements were damning in their condemnation of the disgraced noble's actions, and blatant in their declaration of loyalty to Princess Dorothy Gale Cain, her sister Princess Azkadellia, and the House of Gale.

After that, the OZ's largest newspaper was besieged by letters from members of the public who had encountered Princess DG and wanted to share their experiences with everyone who had not been so fortunate.

Joseph, Mayor of Hirshall, released a letter signed by the residents of the town stating that DG had told them the truth freely and had earned their respect and their support not just for herself but for her sister, too.

Sheriff Bryant of Fordham echoed the sentiment, and couldn't resist adding that she was married to his good friend, the former Tin Man and Resistance fighter Wyatt Cain, and who had better judgement for the OZ to trust than a true hero of the people?

And then there were the private letters, the personal ones DG made sure she read and replied to no matter how many she received. The response the sender got back from the princess might not have been long but they were heartfelt and appreciated.

When they'd started arriving at the palace, alongside the reports from the scouts who all said that there was a general acceptance of the truth and of DG, and a backlash towards those who'd forced her hand, she'd had to retire to her rooms. Cain had followed her without hesitation and no sooner had the doors closed behind them, she broke down in his arms and wept.

Whether it was sheer relief, joy at their acceptance or a sense of finally feeling like she belonged and was welcomed in the world of her birth, neither of them could say.

For those in the realm who were undecided and didn't know whether their loyalties should lie with the Slipper Princess who accepted responsibility for her actions as a child, the matter was put the rest when word reached them through the Viewer tribe that the non-human races of the OZ had accepted DG as their Princess.

She was, in the words of the Kalidah, a lost Child of the OZ who had finally found her way home.

*\\*


	26. Chapter 26

*\\*

On the morning of her coronation, DG stood on the private balcony of her room, watching the twin suns rise over Central City. Restored almost to its full glory, the city was certainly shining, almost awash with a silver glow that settled the nerves taking flight in her stomach. Two annuals had passed since her mother had announced at the first anniversary of the Eclipse that DG would be her successor. Though there was an outpouring of public support for the change in succession, DG had been pleased and relieved that there was support for her sister, too.

Azkadellia had come so far since the burden to one day be Queen had been removed from her shoulders; she had been accepted by their people as their forever princess and as such, no longer shied away from them as she once had. While DG had started the arduous task of preparing to take over from their mother, Azkadellia had completed her own tour of the realm, meeting the people as well as doing her part to heal the lands. It endeared her to them, and proved once and for all that the woman she was was absolutely not the Witch who had once worn her face.

For DG, seeing her sister so loved and accepted by their people made everything worthwhile. Her mission when she'd set out on her first tour of the realm all those annuals ago had been to clear Azkadellia's name, to gain forgiveness for her sister even if it meant accepting the blame for herself. To see her work come to fruition, to see her sister so happy and well, eased the guilt that still sometimes lingered in her heart.

In the cycles before her coronation was due to take place, an annual to the day that her mother had come to her and asked if she felt ready to take on the mantle as Lavender herself had grown weary and did not feel she could be the queen their people deserved, DG had met with the Council to announce the changes that would take place once she was crowned.

Her plans were met with quiet acceptance for the most part; those who had served her mother well but were growing old were happy to step down and be replaced by others who would support the new queen. The only advisor who remained in situ was Lord Ambrose, forever referred to as Glitch by the Queen-to-be, who would step up to head the council if ever she was absent.

Others joining the Council were Joseph Skipton from Hirshall, Jeb, Ishta and Raw. DG had requested the Guilds from the South, East and North to appoint a representative to join them for meetings every quarter to ensure the views of people from all over the realm were heard and that all of their needs were met.

Azkadellia had also agreed to join her sister's council, despite her initial protests that it was an unusual practice. DG had placated her by explaining that she only wanted advisors she could trust to be honest with her on her council, people who wouldn't be afraid to tell her when they thought she was wrong.

That was why it went without saying that the new Consort of the Realm, General and Troop Commander Wyatt Cain would be present alongside his wife at all Council meetings. Though he had his own duties to attend to, DG was adamant that they would rule the country together in more than just name and that there was no other who could keep her grounded quite as well as her husband.

It was he who joined her on the balcony, taking up position beside her as he had done once before annuals ago on another balcony. For a long moment, they stood in silence, each contemplating what this dawning of a new day would bring to their lives.

"I'm supposed to tell you your ladies are waiting to help you into your gown," he told her after another moment, pulling his gaze away from the brilliant colours streaking the sky to look at her.

"Supposed to?" A small smile curled the corners of her mouth as she turned to face him. "What's stopping you?"

He tilted his head, turned to mirror her position. Close enough to touch but keeping his hands to himself for the moment. "Maybe I just want a moment or two more with my wife before I have to share her with everyone else."

"You don't have to share me all of the time," DG murmured, the first to close the gap between them. As she stepped up to him, he reached out to rest his hands on her hips, completing the circle. "I'd say it's not too late for us to change our minds about this but I'm afraid it is. I can't promise I'll always be the best wife in the world but I'll do my best."

"Just being you is good enough for me, DG. Always has been." He flexed his fingers, tightening them for a moment. "It'll be enough for the OZ, too. You're going to be a brilliant Queen."

She already was, in most ways. Though still officially the reigning monarch, Queen Lavender had deferred many of her duties to her heir, preparing for the passing of the title and rule of the realm. Ahamo had followed his wife's lead, showing Cain the ropes, taking him patiently through the role of Consort and teaching him the skills and knowledge he would need to best support his wife.

The coronation was simply the ceremony where everything would become official, where his Princess would become the OZ's Queen.

"Promise me we'll still have moments like this." DG's voice was quiet, her eyes searching his in need of reassurance. "No matter what happens, promise me we won't lose this, us, because of it."

"We'll have as many moments like this as you want," he vowed, sealing it with a gentle kiss stolen from her lips. "I promise, here and now, nothin' between us changes after today. You'll still be you, I'll still be me, and we're absolutely still going to be us, Princess."

"I won't be a princess after today," she pointed out with a sigh.

"You'll always be my Princess," he told her simply.

It was the right thing to say, as a beautiful smile broke out across her face. "And you'll always be my Tin Man."

They allowed the moment to last a minute or two more, breaking apart reluctantly when Azkadellia cleared her throat from inside the room.

"It's time, little sister," she told DG, her head held high, her dark eyes clear. There was nothing but pride in their depths, pride and gratitude for all her baby sister had and would achieve. "If you don't start getting ready now, you'll be walking down the aisle half-dressed."

"Well, we can't be having that, can we?" DG returned Azkadellia's smile but made time to kiss her husband one last time before she followed her sister to the dressing room where a gaggle of ladies-in-waiting and the seamstresses waited.

*\\*

The gown was beautiful but heavy. Since her legs were already a little on the unsteady side, DG sent a prayer up to the Gods of the OZ that she wouldn't trip and fall during her long solitary walk up the aisle to the throne where her Consort-to-be waited with her parents.

She was accompanied to the big double doors leading into the throne room by an honour guard made up of those she'd selected herself. Jeb led the way, as both Captain of the Royal Guard and her son-in-law. Bran, Rafe, Bates and Elliot walked behind. She had wanted Ishta to be amongst them but had been told it was a tradition that the Queen-to-be was the only female in the procession so had settled for asking if Ishta would stand with her parents and Cain as part of their honour guard instead.

Jeb glanced back at her over his shoulder when they reached the double doors, a question in his eyes.

DG took a deep breath and squared her shoulders before nodding at him; she was as ready as she was going to get.

Turning back to face the doors, Jeb motioned for the men guarding them to open them and the coronation ceremony officially began.

There was no music to accompany her walk along the aisle, just the sound of awed whispers as the invited guests, a combination of nobility and regular people, caught a glimpse of her in her gown for the first time.

She tried her best not to focus on them, smiling in greeting at the familiar faces she saw wherever possible but mostly keeping her gaze fixed ahead of her to where her family waited. Whenever she felt her step was going to falter, uncertainty keeping her from moving further forward, she looked to the people on the dais.

Her parents, standing tall and proud with tears in their eyes as she walked towards them. Never had they allowed themselves to dream that not only would both of their daughters return to them but that together, they'd manage to restore their country almost to what it once had been. Oh, it would never be the same; there was no way it could be. But they'd healed and grown and learned to start moving on.

Glitch and Raw, honorary members of the House of Gale due to being two of the first and best friends she'd made in the OZ during their search for the emerald that hung on a simple chain around her neck as she approached them.

Azkadellia, no longer the face of evil or the fragile flower she had been for so long after the Witch's possession. Flowers from the field of the Papay decorated her sister's loosely plaited hair, a symbol of hope and new beginnings, of innocence born again. DG looked at her sister and felt the pride she could see in Azkadellia's eyes reflected back at her sister in her own. They'd come so far together, and would continue to support one another as their journeys continued.

And then there was Cain. Wyatt. Her Tin Man, lover, husband and soon-to-be Consort. Her touchstone and constant, a guiding light even when times got tough. They'd needed the time they'd spent apart to grow, DG knew, to find themselves as individuals before they could come together as a whole. Though she'd missed him during that time, she wouldn't go back and change it if she could; without it, they wouldn't be anywhere near as strong as they now were.

He stepped forward to take her hand when she reached the carpeted stairs leading up to the dais, guiding her the final three steps towards her – their – fate.

He stood aside as she spoke her vows, watching with pride as a crown dating back to Queen Ozma was lifted from its cushion and settled over her head. As soon as her mother stepped back, a brilliant beam of light broke through from the window, momentarily concealing her from view from all in attendance.

Those bearing witness gasped and would later swear to hearing a voice in their heads, a low grumble that resonated with Ancient magic.

"As it was written, as it will be. Dorothy Gale, Child of the OZ, Queen to these lands and all who dwell within it. Blessings be on you, our Lady of Light. Blessings be on you, our Lady's Consort."

Cain felt the familiar tingle of DG's magic intertwined with something he'd never felt before as he moved to stand beside her once the light faded. His worried eyes found hers but she gave him a serene smile as she took his hand.

A golden light sparked between their joined palms, transforming into a ribbon of gold that snaked around their wrists in an endless figure of eight.

There were more gasps as the Ancient voice spoke again. "Bound to each other, bound to the OZ. Blessings for Our Queen and Consort."

As the ceremony came to its conclusion, DG and Cain led the procession out of the throne room and to a private chamber where the family could regroup before making an appearance on the public viewing balcony to greet the crowds waiting outside. Her parents followed, keeping their composure despite the unexpected addition to the ceremony, with the other members of their group falling into step beside them.

"I'm pretty sure I don't remember going over that in the rehearsal," DG spoke up as the doors were closed behind them and she was alone with her family and close friends. "Was that supposed to happen?"

"Very rare," Raw answered, his grin wider than she'd ever seen. He moved forward and took her hand, kissing her knuckles as he bowed. "Ancients of the OZ bless DG and Cain. Not known to happen for hundreds of annuals."

"Around about three hundred if I remember right," Glitch supplied, puffing his chest up proudly as he'd been the one to receive the honour. "It's a good thing, Doll," he added when DG continued to look unconvinced. "Means they agree with you being Queen, that you'll have the support of the land as well as its people if you need it."

"That sounds weird. Good," DG added with a shrug. "But I'm wondering if this place will ever stop surprising me."

"I wouldn't count on it, Spitfire," Ahamo grinned as he moved to hug her. "I've been here near on thirty annuals and I still learn something new most days."

"Thanks, Dad." She rolled her eyes but hugged him back, pleased she'd still have him and her mother for guidance even if only in an unofficial capacity. "What was with the gold ribbon thing? No one mentioned that, either."

"It's not usually part of a coronation ceremony," her mother told her, taking her father's place to hug her. "Usually, if a couple is to be blessed on their union by the OZ, it takes place during the marriage ceremony."

"It could be that the OZ was a little confused that day," Azkadellia teased lightly as she, too, embraced her sister as their parents moved away. "I'm so proud of you, DG. You will be magnificent."

DG accepted the embrace and lingered a little longer in her sister's arms. "I'm proud of you, too, Az."

"I've not heard of the OZ blessing a marriage ceremony before," Cain spoke up, wrapping his arm around DG's waist once the rest of the hugs and handshakes had been given. "I'm guessin' that doesn't happen often, either?"

"Not at all," Glitch told him cheerfully. "I think maybe the last couple to be blessed in that way were Queen Dorothy and her Consort. That's the Grey Gale to you, DG."

"Is it a good thing, this blessing?" DG glanced up at Cain, felt his hand tighten on her hip as he, too, waited for the answer. "It's not a sign we need it because it's going to be nothing but trouble ahead, is it?"

"No, my angel," Her mother smiled but her words made them all pause for thought. "Blessings are a good thing. It means you're a strong couple. Strong enough to overcome any obstacles, though it's certainly not a given that there will be obstacles to overcome. It's a reassurance, as much for you as for the people. To be blessed by the Ancients of the OZ is a good omen for any marriage and any reign."

DG sighed as she leaned her head against Cain's shoulder, deciding to let the matter rest for now but promising herself she'd pay a visit to the library to do some research of her own.

For now, she planned to kick back and relax, to enjoy the company of her family and friends and be grateful for the well-wishes of the people of the OZ.

Life along the old road might be full of its ups and downs, its twists and turns, but with Cain at her side and those she loved beside them, she was confident they'd get to where they needed to be.

*/*

End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of the support you've given this story - it's much appreciated! I don't know when I'll be back with another because of life's demands but I do have more stories planned for these characters! If anyone has any one-shot style prompts, feel free to send them my way and I'll see if they spark something. No promises, but I can try.


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